Antonelli wins in Austin, but his title party waits for Mexico
· BehindLines newsroom
Kimi Antonelli won the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix on Sunday 25 October at the Circuit of the Americas outside Austin, Texas. Starting from pole, the Italian Mercedes driver controlled the 56-lap race and took the flag a little more than 13 seconds clear of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, according to Formula 1’s official race report. Max Verstappen of Red Bull completed the podium, about 17 seconds back.
Further down, Lewis Hamilton brought the second Ferrari home in fourth, ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris. Oscar Piastri finished seventh. George Russell, Antonelli’s team-mate and his nearest rival in the standings, could only manage eighth after picking up a five-second penalty during the race, Sky Sports reports.
A ninth win, but not yet the crown
This was Antonelli’s ninth victory of the season. It lifts him to 365 points, against 242 for Russell and 241 for Hamilton, with Verstappen (236) and Leclerc (233) close behind. His lead at the top is therefore 123 points. That was still not enough to settle the championship in Texas: the finishing positions of Russell and Hamilton keep a mathematical chance of catching him alive, as ESPN points out.
The next round is the Mexico City Grand Prix on Sunday 1 November. Based on the calculations published after the race, Antonelli will be crowned if he leaves Mexico with a lead of at least 100 points over every rival, because there would then not be enough points left on offer to close such a gap.
What it changes
For Mercedes, the result confirms a dominance established early in the season and brings the team close to a first drivers’ title in several years. For Ferrari, Leclerc’s second place and Hamilton’s fourth keep a tight contest alive for the minor placings, where only five points now separate second from fifth. NBC News sums up the picture: the young Italian is now very close to his first world title. For fans, the question in Mexico will be less who wins the championship than when it is formally decided.