Antonelli Extends F1 Title Lead After Austin Win
The 20-year-old Italian driver secured his ninth victory of the season, increasing his championship advantage to 123 points with five races left.
By Molly Harrison ·
Kimi Antonelli increased his Formula One championship lead to 123 points on Sunday after winning the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. The 20-year-old Italian driver claimed his ninth victory of the season at the Circuit of the Americas. He finished the 56-lap race in 1 hour, 35 minutes, and 16.650 seconds, starting from pole position.
Charles Leclerc of Monaco finished second, crossing the line 13.078 seconds behind Antonelli. Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing took third place, 17.485 seconds behind the winner. Verstappen, who has won four consecutive titles from 2021 to 2024, is now mathematically eliminated from this year's championship race. He will go two years without a world championship if he does not win in Mexico City.
Race strategy determined the outcome. Antonelli waited until Lap 25 for his only pit stop, while other teams made two stops. The one-stop approach allowed him to build a gap that the Virtual Safety Car on Lap 52 failed to close. That safety car was triggered when Valtteri Bottas’s Cadillac stopped on the track. It remained active until the penultimate lap, but no driver could catch Antonelli by the finish.
George Russell, Antonelli’s Mercedes teammate from Great Britain, must win the next race in Mexico City to stay in contention for the title. If Russell does not win, the championship goes to Antonelli. Mercedes also extended its lead in the constructors’ standings to 133 points over Ferrari. Mercedes has 607 points, while Ferrari has 474.
Team principal Toto Wolff described the performance as Antonelli’s best of the year. Wolff noted that Antonelli started with the inferior tire and controlled the race at all times. Wolff called it the race of a champion who is not yet the champion. He added that Antonelli outperformed the car and that his driving style suits the machine well.
Antonelli acknowledged that the title is close but said his mindset has not changed. He wants to finish the season on a high note to enter 2027 with high hopes. He has now won both United States races on this year’s calendar, including a victory in Miami earlier in the season. The Las Vegas Grand Prix remains the final major event before the season ends in November.
Source: Al Jazeera
