Antonelli Nears F1 Title With Austin Win

Kimi Antonelli won the United States Grand Prix in Austin from pole, taking his ninth victory of the season and finishing about 13 seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc; Max Verstappen was third. The 20-year-old moved to within two points of securing the 2026 Formula One drivers’ championship and can clinch it at next weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix by finishing ninth or higher, or if George Russell or Lewis Hamilton fail to win. Russell finished eighth and Hamilton fourth. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff called Austin Antonelli’s best race yet, praising his start, control and execution; Antonelli credited the team’s strategy and weekend preparation, while Red Bull acknowledged Mercedes had the faster car. A title win would make Antonelli F1’s youngest champion and the first Italian champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953.