F1: Kimi Antonelli wins the United States Grand Prix in Austin, moves to the brink of the title

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli won the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas in Austin on Sunday, Oct. 25, finishing 13.078 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took third.

Antonelli started from pole, led from the first lap and made his tires last on a one-stop strategy while most rivals stopped twice. The win was his ninth of the season, according to Formula 1, and it left the 20-year-old Italian one step from his first world championship.

F1 United States Grand Prix results: top 10

Official classification, per Formula 1 and BBC Sport:

Nico Hulkenberg, Arvid Lindblad and Gabriel Bortoleto finished 11th through 13th. Franco Colapinto (Alpine), Ollie Bearman (Haas) and Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) retired, Formula 1 reported.

How the Austin race unfolded

• The start: Antonelli got a strong launch from pole and held the lead, while Verstappen started poorly and briefly lost second to Leclerc before taking it back on the first lap, according to Formula 1’s race report.
• Strategy: Mercedes started on medium tires while Leclerc and the Red Bulls were on softs. Antonelli ran a long first stint, pitted at the end of Lap 24 and finished on hard tires.
• Russell’s penalty: George Russell, who started sixth, received a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage in a fight with Piastri. BBC Sport reported it dropped him to 10th after his stop, and he recovered only to eighth.
• The fight for second: Verstappen battled what he called an “undriveable” car over the radio, according to Formula 1. Leclerc passed Norris and then Verstappen in the closing laps to secure second, and Hamilton moved past Norris into fourth.
• Late Virtual Safety Car: Bottas pulled off near the end, bringing out a Virtual Safety Car, but Antonelli’s lead was large enough that it made little difference.

“It was the result we needed,” Antonelli said afterward, crediting the team’s new upgrade package and the one-stop call, according to Formula 1.

What it means for the F1 standings

Antonelli did not clinch the title in Austin. To do that, he needed to win while Russell finished ninth or lower and Hamilton finished outside the top four. Russell’s eighth place and Hamilton’s fourth kept both mathematically alive.

BBC Sport reported Antonelli now leads Russell by 123 points. He will be crowned champion at the Mexico City Grand Prix as long as he does not lose more than 23 points to Russell and 24 to Hamilton. In practice:

• Ninth place in Mexico would be enough even if Russell wins.
• Tenth place would be enough if Hamilton wins.
• If neither Russell nor Hamilton wins, Antonelli is champion wherever he finishes.

What’s next on the F1 schedule

The Mexico City Grand Prix at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is next, over the weekend of Oct. 30 to Nov. 1. BBC Sport said it is likely to be where Antonelli is crowned.

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