Kimi Antonelli Dominates in Texas, Two Points From Becoming Formula 1’s Youngest World Champion

Kimi Antonelli is already on the verge of his first Formula 1 World Championship title. The Italian driver swept the Austin race, leading from start to finish in a race where he faced no rival. He was the fastest, and his Mercedes also preserved the tires better than anyone else. He is two points away from becoming champion.

The race of Fernando Alonso was marked by a contact on the opening lap. Alexander Albon struck him, causing damage to the car. Alonso finished the race, but behind his teammate Lance Stroll, and far from the points zone he had hoped to reach.

Antonelli Only Needs to Finish Ninth in Mexico to Win the Title

Kimi Antonelli returned to Austin to once again show there is no rival this season. The world leader, and future champion, asserted his authority, unruffled by the strategic challenges of his rivals and stopping Max Verstappen at the start with an unbeatable launch.

Antonelli’s victory leaves him within striking distance of his first world title. Specifically, he only needs to finish ninth in Mexico, although he could clinch the crown even without scoring as long as Lewis Hamilton and George Russell do not win the race. Hamilton needed to finish worse than fourth and finished fourth, and Russell needed to be worse than eighth and finished eighth.

The battle was happening behind them. Because Charles Leclerc took advantage of Verstappen’s drop in pace in the second stint on soft tires to grab second place. Red Bull erred by betting on the softs, and that nearly cost the four-time champion a podium, which he salvaged only thanks to a virtual safety car.

Hamilton was actually already on Verstappen’s tail, but he needed one more lap, just the one when the race was neutralised by Valtteri Bottas’s retirement. In any case, a surprising Red Bull collapse during the race, as Isack Hadjar also lacked pace, reportedly due to an engine-mapping issue, and finished sixth.

Fifth place for Lando Norris, who tried a strategy with a different single-stop plan and almost pulled it off. He even ran second for a stretch but ran out of tires. Nevertheless, he beat his teammate, Oscar Piastri, into seventh. Points for Liam Lawson with a ninth place and for Pierre Gasly, who managed to place his Alpine in tenth.

Alonso’s race has been a torment after a touch with Albon on the opening lap that left his car damaged. The Asturian later tried to push on, but could only finish sixteenth, even behind his teammate Lance Stroll. Worse off was Carlos Sainz, eighteenth and also squeezed at the start by Arvid Lindblad.

Resultados carrera Fórmula 1 GP Estados Unidos 2026

World Championship standings Formula 1

1st. Kimi ANTONELLI (Mercedes-ITA), 365 points

2nd. George RUSSELL (Mercedes-GBR), 242 points

3rd. Lewis HAMILTON (Ferrari-GBR), 241 points

4th. Max VERSTAPPEN (Red Bull-HOL), 236 points

5th. Charles LECLERC (Ferrari-MON), 233 points

Images | Aston Martin, Mercedes