Antonelli wins United States Grand Prix but must wait to seal F1 title

Kimi Antonelli won the United States Grand Prix on Sunday to move closer to his first Formula 1 drivers' championship, but results elsewhere kept the title contest open. The Mercedes driver finished ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Red Bull's Max Verstappen at the Circuit of The Americas, taking his ninth Grand Prix victory of the season.

Watch the highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxOsiO6o4Wg

Formula 1's official race report credited Antonelli's opening lap and one-stop strategy with establishing control in Austin. He extended his first stint on medium tyres before switching to the hard compound, while several leading rivals stopped twice. The official results recorded a winning margin of 13.078 seconds over Leclerc after 56 laps, with Verstappen completing the podium.

Leclerc secured second place with a late overtake on Verstappen, while Lewis Hamilton finished fourth in the other Ferrari. Lando Norris took fifth for McLaren after losing ground on older tyres. Isack Hadjar and Oscar Piastri finished sixth and seventh respectively, ahead of George Russell, whose eighth place helped keep the championship mathematically undecided.

According to Formula 1, Antonelli now has 365 points and leads Mercedes team-mate Russell by 123. He will clinch the championship in Mexico City provided he loses no more than 23 points to Russell or 24 to Hamilton. BBC Sport reported that ninth place would therefore be sufficient even if Russell wins; tenth would be enough if Hamilton takes victory.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff praised Antonelli's execution in comments reported by BBC Sport, judging the Austin performance his strongest yet. Antonelli contrasted it with his victory at Monza from nineteenth on the grid, explaining that Mercedes had enjoyed a clearer performance advantage in Italy. He considered the way the team developed its performance through the Austin weekend particularly satisfying.

The championship remains unsealed because Russell and Hamilton both finished just high enough to prevent Antonelli winning it in Texas. If the 20-year-old completes the job, he will become Formula 1's youngest world champion and the first Italian champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953. Antonelli told BBC Sport he intended to maintain the same approach for the remaining races, enjoying the opportunity while continuing to pursue victories.