Antonelli wins in Austin as maiden title moves closer

Kimi Antonelli moved to the brink of his first Formula One world championship with a commanding United States Grand Prix victory on Sunday, but results elsewhere kept his title celebrations on hold.

The Mercedes driver won at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, finishing 13.078 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen completed the podium.

Antonelli’s ninth Grand Prix victory of the season came through a successful one-stop strategy. While several rivals stopped twice, the Italian managed his medium tyres before switching to the hard compound and controlling the closing stages.

Lewis Hamilton finished fourth for Ferrari and Antonelli’s Mercedes team-mate George Russell eighth, keeping both mathematically in championship contention.

According to Formula One’s official website, Antonelli now has 365 points, a lead of 123 over Russell and 124 over Hamilton.

The championship moves next to Mexico City, where the 20-year-old could become the youngest drivers’ world champion in Formula One history.

Antonelli praised the team’s upgrades and strategic execution after the race, describing the victory as the result Mercedes needed.

‘We’re very close but we’ll try to finish on a high, and hopefully we can clinch it very soon,’ he told Formula One’s official website.

Leclerc’s second place gave Ferrari another strong result, with Hamilton adding valuable points in fourth. Lando Norris finished fifth, followed by Isack Hadjar and Oscar Piastri.

The Mexico City Grand Prix takes place over the weekend of 30 October to 1 November.

Sources: Formula1.com, official United States Grand Prix race report and Antonelli post-race interview, 25 October.