Antonelli wins US Grand Prix to widen F1 title gap

Kimi Antonelli won the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, on Sunday. The 20-year-old Italian driver secured his ninth victory of the season at the Circuit of the Americas. He started from pole position and finished the 56-lap race in 1:35:16.650.

Charles Leclerc of Monaco finished second, 13.078 seconds behind Antonelli. Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing completed the podium, arriving 17.485 seconds after the winner. A single pit stop strategy decided the race outcome. While other teams stopped twice, Antonelli stayed out until Lap 25 and did not return to the pit lane.

Antonelli credited his team for the strategic choice. "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," he said. The win extends his championship lead over Mercedes teammate George Russell to 123 points. Five races remain on the calendar. Russell must win the next race in Mexico City to keep his title hopes alive. If he fails to win, Antonelli will claim the championship.

Verstappen, a four-time champion, is now mathematically out of the title fight. He has won every championship from 2021 to 2024. This season marks the second year in a row that he will go without a world title. "Our overall pace was not good enough, and the tyres we had available were not the right ones," Verstappen said. He noted that a Virtual Safety Car may have helped his position.

The Virtual Safety Car was triggered on Lap 52 when Valtteri Bottas's Cadillac stopped on the track. It remained in effect until the penultimate lap. By that point, no other driver could catch Antonelli. Mercedes also increased its lead in the constructors' standings. The team now holds 607 points, compared to Ferrari's 474, for a 133-point gap.

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff described the performance as 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. He added that Antonelli has outperformed the car and that his driving style suits the vehicle well.

Antonelli has won both United States races on this year's calendar. The Las Vegas Grand Prix is scheduled for November. When asked about the title, Antonelli said, "I'm aware [securing the championship] is close, but the mindset doesn't change. I want to finish the season on a high, to go into 2027 with high hopes."