Antonelli Leads by 123 Points After Austin Win
The 20-year-old Italian secured his ninth victory of the season at the Circuit of the Americas, putting his title within reach with five races left on the calendar.
By Evelyn Adeyemi ·
Kimi Antonelli holds a 123 point lead in the Formula One drivers' championship following his victory at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, on Sunday.
The 20-year-old Italian driver started from pole position and crossed the finish line in 1:35:16.650. Charles Leclerc finished second for Ferrari, 13.078 seconds behind the winner. Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing took third place, 17.485 seconds back. Antonelli has now won nine races this season, including both United States events on the 2026 calendar.
George Russell of Great Britain, Antonelli's teammate at Mercedes, sits second in the standings. Five races remain in the season. Russell must win the next race in Mexico City to stay in the championship fight. If he does not win, the title goes to Antonelli. Verstappen, the four-time defending champion, is now mathematically out of the title race and will go two years without a world championship.
Strategy determined the outcome over the 56-lap race. Most teams used two pit stops. Antonelli stayed out until Lap 25, made one stop, and stayed out for the remainder. "It was a perfect way to end the weekend; it was an incredible team effort, especially from strategy to believe in me and go for one stop," Antonelli said.
A Virtual Safety Car was triggered on Lap 52 when Valtteri Bottas's Cadillac stopped on the track. The safety car remained active until the penultimate lap. By that point, no driver could catch Antonelli. Verstappen said the podium finish may have involved luck due to the safety car. "Our overall pace was not good enough, and the tyres we had available were not the right ones," he said.
Mercedes extended its lead in the constructors' championship to 133 points over Ferrari. Mercedes has 607 points, while Ferrari has 474. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff called the performance the best race Antonelli has produced this year. "Getting off the start with the inferior tyre and then controlling it at all times. The race of a champion who isn't the champion yet, but exceptional," Wolff said.
Antonelli acknowledged that securing the title is close but stated his mindset remains unchanged. "I want to finish the season on a high, to go into 2027 with high hopes," he said. The next race is scheduled for November in Las Vegas.
Source: Al Jazeera
