Antonelli wins in Austin as Formula One title fight moves to Mexico

Kimi Antonelli won the United States Grand Prix on Sunday, taking his ninth victory of the 2026 season without yet settling the Formula One drivers’ championship. The Mercedes driver finished ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen at the Circuit of the Americas, with the FIA’s race report recording a winning margin of 13.078 seconds after 56 laps.

Watch the highlights:

Antonelli retained the lead from pole position at the start, while the fight immediately behind him changed hands. According to the FIA, Leclerc initially moved past Verstappen, but the Red Bull driver recovered second before the opening lap ended. A brief virtual safety car period for debris interrupted proceedings early on; by lap 10, Antonelli had established an advantage of almost three seconds.

Tyre strategy then helped the Mercedes driver turn that early position into victory. Formula One’s official race report said Antonelli completed a long opening stint on medium tyres before switching to hards and reaching the finish without another stop. Several rivals made two stops. Leclerc eventually secured second with a late overtake, while Verstappen finished third despite problems with his car.

Lewis Hamilton finished fourth for Ferrari, followed by McLaren’s Lando Norris, Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar and Oscar Piastri in the other McLaren. George Russell took eighth in the second Mercedes, with Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly completing the points positions. Valtteri Bottas, Franco Colapinto and Ollie Bearman retired; Bottas stopping beside the circuit prompted a late virtual safety car, Formula One reported.

The championship therefore remains undecided as the series heads to Mexico City. Formula One’s post-race report put Antonelli on 365 points, 123 ahead of Russell. The 20-year-old can secure the title at the next round provided he loses no more than 23 points to his teammate or 24 to Hamilton. Doing so would make him the youngest world champion in Formula One history.

Speaking after the race, Antonelli credited Mercedes’ work on its new package and the execution of the one-stop strategy, according to Formula One. He said he wanted to secure the championship with another strong result, while continuing to enjoy the remaining races. Austin delivered the victory he needed, but the title itself remains unclaimed.