'The race of a champion': Kimi Antonelli's best F1 win yet puts him on the brink of history

Covered by The New York Times, Aol and 9 more since

  • Lewis Hamilton
  • Austin, Texas
  • Max Verstappen
  • Italy
  • Charles Leclerc
  • George Russell (racing driver)
  • Circuit of the Americas
  • Mexico
An empty racetrack straight and uphill first corner at golden dusk, with faint tire marks on the asphalt and empty grandstands under a pastel sky.

What happened

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, 20, won the United States Grand Prix in Austin on Sunday, Oct. 25, leading from pole position. He fell just short of clinching the Formula 1 title because Lewis Hamilton finished fourth and George Russell eighth. He can seal it next weekend in Mexico City and become F1's youngest-ever champion.

Summary

Kimi Antonelli is one weekend away from Formula 1 history. The 20-year-old Italian won the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin on Sunday. He started from pole and was never seriously challenged. To clinch the title right there, he also needed Lewis Hamilton to finish fifth or lower and teammate George Russell ninth or lower. Hamilton came in fourth and Russell eighth, so the celebration has to wait. NBC News reports it was Antonelli's ninth win of the season, and F1 officials counted 467,000 fans over the weekend. [2] [3] [5] [7] [8]

Antonelli got a strong start and was more than two seconds clear after the first lap while Max Verstappen fought with the Ferraris behind him. Mercedes started him on medium tires, which let him make just one pit stop while his rivals made two. He finished 16 seconds ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who passed Verstappen late for second. Russell got a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage, and he finished eighth. Antonelli credited a Mercedes upgrade package that had struggled at first, calling the outcome "the result we needed" after a perfect one-stop strategy. [2] [7] [8] [10]

The numbers vary slightly by outlet: Aol puts Antonelli's lead over Russell at 123 points, while NBC News says 124, with 125 points left across five races. Aol reports he will be champion in Mexico City as long as he loses no more than 23 points to Russell and 24 to Hamilton. A title would make him younger than Sebastian Vettel, who won his first at 23 in 2010, and Italy's first champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953. Antonelli said, "I know we are very close." Russell called his pace "rubbish" and told Sky Sports he did not have answers yet. [2] [5] [6] [7] [10]

Summary written by Vox Populi News from the 11 sources below. See all sources

Key questions

Why didn't Kimi Antonelli win the F1 title in Austin?

Winning wasn't enough by itself. He also needed Hamilton to finish fifth or lower and Russell ninth or lower, but Hamilton finished fourth and Russell eighth. [5] [7]

When can Antonelli clinch the 2026 championship?

His next chance is the Mexico City Grand Prix next weekend. Aol reports that if neither Russell nor Hamilton wins there, he is champion no matter where he finishes, and ninth place would be enough even if Russell wins. [2] [3] [5]

What record would Antonelli break?

He would become F1's youngest-ever drivers' champion, passing Sebastian Vettel, who won his first title in 2010 at age 23. He would also be the first Italian champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953. [5] [6] [7]

Sources 11

  1. 1The New York Times

    U.S. GP qualifying recap: Kimi Antonelli claims pole to boost chances of winning F1 title in Austin

    The 2026 Formula 1 world championship could be clinched this weekend at the United States Grand Prix, and Kimi Antonelli has taken a big step towards that after securing pole position on Saturday.

    Read on The New York Times (opens in a new tab)
  2. 2Aol

    Antonelli wins in US but has to wait to secure title

    Kimi Antonelli needs only two more points to seal his first world title following a dominant victory in the United States Grand Prix.

    Andrew Benson

    Read on Aol (opens in a new tab)
  3. 3ESPN.com

    United States Grand Prix results: Kimi Antonelli on brink of world title after win in Austin - as it happened

    Kimi Antonelli has edged ever closer to sealing his first drivers' world championship after winning the United States Grand Prix, and you can relive all the updates with ESPN.

    Alicia Turner

    Read on ESPN.com (opens in a new tab)
  4. 4New York Post

    F1 returns to Austin -- Here's how to watch the US Grand Prix 2026 for free

    The Americas leg of the 2026 F1 season begins today with the 2026 United States Grand Prix. The 54th running of the U.S. Grand Prix will take place at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

    Angela Tricarico

    Read on New York Post (opens in a new tab)
  5. 5USA Today

    Kimi Antonelli wins US Grand Prix, but must wait for Formula 1 championship

    Kimi Antonelli will have to wait a bit longer to win his first Formula 1 championship. The Mercedes driver, 20, finished first at the United States Grand Prix in Austin on Sunday, Oct.

    Read on USA Today (opens in a new tab)
  6. 6Forbes

    Starting Grid For The 2026 F1 United States Grand Prix

    Andrea Kimi Antonelli put his Mercedes on pole position for the United States Grand Prix, where he could wrap up his maiden Formula 1 world championship.

    Read on Forbes (opens in a new tab)
  7. 7NBC News

    Kimi Antonelli wins U.S. Grand Prix in Texas, putting him on the brink of F1 championship

    It was a masterful race weekend from the 20-year-old Italian, who is very likely to clinch the 2026 Formula 1 driver's title next weekend in Mexico City. AUSTIN, Texas -- Kimi Antonelli won the U.S.

    Sahil Kapur

    Read on NBC News (opens in a new tab)
  8. 8Sports Illustrated

    F1 Standings and Results after the 2026 United States Grand Prix

    Who came out on top at the US Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas, Texas? Kimi Antonelli took another step towards becoming Formula 1's youngest-ever champion with a commanding victory at the…

    Ewan Gale

    Read on Sports Illustrated (opens in a new tab)
  9. 9CBS Sports

    2026 United States Grand Prix odds, predictions, time: Formula One picks from proven model

    SportsLine's model analyzes Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli, Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, Red Bull's Max Verstappen and the rest of the starting grid at the 2026 F1 United States GP The United States Grand…

    Ross Kelly

    Read on CBS Sports (opens in a new tab)
  10. 10U.S. News & World Report

    Kimi Antonelli's Austin Win Points to Potential Dominance in 2027, Not Just This Year

    Victory in Texas didn't just put Kimi Antonelli on the verge of winning the Formula 1 title. It gave an important signal he could repeat the feat next year.

    Associated Press

    Read on U.S. News & World Report (opens in a new tab)
  11. 11Motorsport.com

    Five quick takeaways from US GP

    Another win for Kimi Antonelli - with the Italian now almost certain to clinch the title in Mexico.

    Read on Motorsport.com (opens in a new tab)