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United States GP: Kimi Antonelli wins Austin race to move to brink of F1 world title after dominant drive
Kimi Antonelli delivers emphatic victory in Austin to move a maximum of two points away from clinching 2026's Drivers' Championship; Antonelli only needs a ninth-place finish next Sunday in Mexico to be sure; Charles Leclerc's late surge secures second place in race from Max Verstappen
Sunday 25 October 2026 22:32, UK
Kimi Antonelli moved to the brink of becoming Formula 1's youngest-ever world champion with a superb drive to victory in the United States Grand Prix.
Antonelli had an outside chance of clinching the 2026 title as early as Sunday's Austin race provided he won, Lewis Hamilton finished outside the top four and George Russell was ninth or lower.
And while he held up his side of the bargain by brilliantly claiming a ninth win of the season on a one-stop strategy to his nearest rivals' two, Hamilton took fourth and Russell eighth to stay in mathematical contention.
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But Antonelli has moved 123 points clear of Russell, and 124 points clear of Hamilton, with just a maximum of 125 left to play for this season to make a coronation at next Sunday's Mexico City Grand Prix all-but inevitable.
Antonelli, who only turned 20 in August and is in his second season of F1, will definitely clinch the title with four rounds to spare in Mexico if he finishes anywhere in the top nine.
"We are very close," said the Italian. "We try to finish on a high and hopefully we can clinch it very soon."
Antonelli won at the Circuit of The Americas by 13 seconds with Charles Leclerc finishing a fine second for Ferrari after winning out against Red Bull's Max Verstappen in the battle of the two-stop strategies.
Hamilton was fourth, just a second behind Verstappen, with Lando Norris fifth on a one-stop strategy ahead of Red Bull's Isack Hadjar.
While Antonelli was peerless up front, team-mate Russell's difficult Austin weekend, and indeed season, was summed up by his eighth-place finish.
Russell, who had started sixth, dropped behind the McLarens after having to serve a five-second penalty at his sole pit stop after being judged to have gained an advantage by going off track in battle with Oscar Piastri on the first lap.
The elongated pit stop dropped Russell behind Piastri, who he was then unable to pass despite following closely for almost half the race.
Liam Lawson continued his relentless points-scoring form with ninth for Racing Bulls, while Pierre Gasly was 10th for Alpine.
More to follow…
Formula 1 next heads south for the second leg of the triple header with the Mexico City Grand Prix from October 30-November 1, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime
