Kimi Antonelli did everything he could at the Circuit of the Americas on Sunday. He won the United States Grand Prix from pole position in a stress-free drive, but the coronation of the youngest and newest F1 world champion will have to wait at least a week. The Mercedes driver took his ninth victory of 2026 and moved closer to a maiden crown, though the sums didn’t quite work out in his favor.
A Race Won On Lap One
The race was effectively decided at the start. A superb opening lap and rocket start off the line from Antonelli, combined with a poor start from Max Verstappen, gave the Italian an early lead that he never relinquished. Verstappen had been the nearest challenger on the opening laps, but by lap 8 the order was Antonelli, Verstappen, Leclerc, Hamilton, Hadjar, Russell and Norris. They were separated by over one second before two laps into the race — breaking the zone to gain a crucial gap from the overtake mode setting on cars.
Strategy then set Antonelli apart. While many rivals stopped twice, he ran a long stint on the mediums before nursing the hard tires to the flag, an inspired one-stop that kept him clear of trouble. A Virtual Safety Car before the final lap didn’t shrink his advantage much. In fact, it only grew it, Charles Leclerc finished the race at a storming pace, but couldn’t catch up under 40 percent speeds because of the VSC. Antonelli crossed the line 13.078 seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc, with a winning time of 1:35:16.650.
Ferrari And Red Bull On The Podium
Leclerc’s afternoon was one of recovery. A late move on Verstappen promoted the Ferrari driver to a second consecutive runner-up finish. Verstappen, after his poor start, still managed the podium: he dealt well with several issues on his Red Bull to finish third, 17.485 seconds behind the winner. Lewis Hamilton was fourth in the second Ferrari, about a second further back, which gave the Scuderia a solid haul of points.
Behind them came the McLarens, though not in a way either driver will remember fondly. Lando Norris lost his shot at the podium when his tyres aged, leaving him fifth ahead of Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar and Oscar Piastri. The most consequential result for the championship came from Antonelli’s team-mate. George Russell had a frustrating day and finished eighth, with Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly taking the last two points positions. That result is what kept the title fight alive. Russell needed to finish ninth or lower, and Hamilton fifth or lower, for Antonelli to secure it.
Why Kimi Antonelli Didn’t Clinch
Going into the weekend, the permutations were tight. Antonelli arrived in Austin on 340 points, 102 clear of Russell and 111 ahead of Hamilton. A win would put him on 365, and with 125 points left to contest, he needed his closest rivals to stay far enough back. The numbers fell just short. A win with Russell in eighth reduces his lead over Russell to 123 points, and Hamilton finishing fourth leaves the gap to him at 124, both under the 125 needed. By my arithmetic, the gap to Russell is 123 and to Hamilton 124, so both remain mathematically alive, though only barely. It’s worth keeping perspective, though. The tiebreaker also favors Antonelli: with nine wins he cannot be overtaken by Russell if the two finish level on points. The title is a matter of when, not if.
The Rest Of The Field
Further back, there was drama of other kinds. Gabriel Bortoleto recovered to 13th after an enormous 80-place grid penalty, just behind Nico Hulkenberg and Arvid Lindblad, who also missed the points. Haas failed to score in their home race, and Williams extended their pointless streak to three events. There were three retirements: Franco Colapinto for Alpine, Ollie Bearman for Haas, and Valtteri Bottas for Cadillac, whose stoppage at the side of the track caused the VSC that neutralized the closing laps.
The End Of My Rant: What’s Next
The calendar offers Antonelli a quick second chance. Another strong result, combined with Russell and Hamilton leaving points on the table, could finally make him the sport’s youngest world champion. Based on Sunday’s form, few would bet against him. Antonelli can win the crown, and become Formula 1’s youngest champion in history with a win in Mexico City next week.
