F1 US GP 2026: Antonelli delivers champion ride
Twenty-year-old Kimi Antonelli secured a dominant win at the United States Grand Prix, moving to the brink of the F1 world title.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Twenty-year-old Antonelli dominated the United States Grand Prix in Austin.
- He holds a massive points lead heading into the Mexico City Grand Prix.
- Set to become Italy's first F1 world champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953.
- Poised to shatter Sebastian Vettel's record as the youngest-ever world champion.
The latest Formula 1 weekend in the United States concluded with a masterclass performance from 20-year-old Italian driver Kimi Antonelli, who powered his way to a dominant victory at the United States Grand Prix in Austin. The win extends his commanding lead in the drivers' championship standings, placing him in an impregnable position heading into the final stages of the season.
Although Antonelli executed his part of the weekend to perfection, his championship celebrations must wait until next week in Mexico City. Title rivals George Russell, his Mercedes team-mate, and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton did just enough to keep their mathematical hopes alive by finishing in eighth and fourth place respectively.
Looking ahead to the next race in Mexico City, Antonelli needs only a ninth-place finish—or tenth if Hamilton wins the race—to guarantee the world championship title. Given his relentless pace and superiority throughout the campaign, the young Italian remains firmly in control of his destiny.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff praised Antonelli's execution in Austin, ranking it even higher than his emotional home victory at Monza where he started from 19th on the grid. Wolff highlighted how the team's meticulous buildup and performance progression over the weekend set a new benchmark.
"Definitely, Monza was a super-special one, and one that I will remember forever. But this one probably, in terms of execution, was better, because the way we built up and the way we built the performance throughout the weekend was very good."
Toto Wolff
On the technical front, Mercedes equipped both cars with a revised upgrade package following its troublesome debut in Malaysia two races ago, where it initially hindered lap times by an estimated 0.3 seconds. While Russell struggled to unlock the car's potential, Antonelli maximized the package to secure pole position and dominate the Grand Prix.
Antonelli's impending title triumph marks a historic milestone for Italian motorsport, as no Italian driver has clinched the F1 drivers' championship since Alberto Ascari in 1953. Furthermore, he is on track to surpass Sebastian Vettel's long-standing record as the youngest world champion by more than three years, highlighting his exceptional adaptability to modern Formula 1 machinery.
Source: BBC Sport
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