Antonelli one race from 2026 title after US GP victory
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli won the United States Grand Prix and leads the 2026 drivers' championship by 123 points. He can clinch the title with a ninth-place finish or better at the Mexico City Grand Prix. The 20-year-old has 365 points after nine wins this season.
Antonelli extends lead with US GP win
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli secured victory at the United States Grand Prix on October 25, 2026, finishing ahead of Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen at the Circuit of the Americas.[1] The win marked his ninth of the season and moved him to 365 points in the drivers' championship.
Antonelli now leads Mercedes teammate George Russell by 123 points and Lewis Hamilton by 124 points, with a maximum of 125 points remaining in the season.[1] Russell finished eighth and Hamilton fourth in Austin.
Title clinch scenario in Mexico City
Antonelli can secure the 2026 championship with a ninth-place finish or better at the Mexico City Grand Prix on November 1.[1] A result of that standard would be enough even if Russell wins the race, given the points gap and races left.
The Italian driver started from pole and controlled the race on a one-stop strategy to claim the win by 13 seconds.[3]
Related reading
- [1]United States GP: Kimi Antonelli wins Austin race to move to brink of F1 world title (skysports). Accessed 2026-10-26.
- [2]US Grand Prix result: Kimi Antonelli wins in Austin but has to wait to seal title (bbc). Accessed 2026-10-26.
- [3]F1 – Antonelli takes controlled COTA win ahead of Leclerc and Verstappen to close in on F1 Driver's title (fia). Accessed 2026-10-26.