Antonelli can clinch F1 crown in Austin
Kimi Antonelli can become the first Italian Formula 1 world champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953 and the youngest-ever champion on Sunday at the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin after taking pole position on Saturday.
He secured pole by 0.179 seconds from Red Bull's Max Verstappen and arrives in Austin having not been on pole since the Belgian Grand Prix in July, a run interrupted by early-season Mercedes strength and subsequent challenges from McLaren and Red Bull. Antonelli said he came into the weekend intending to keep “the same mindset as I had all year - one race at a time”, but acknowledged the occasion felt different while stressing the objective remained unchanged.
The championship permutations are explicit: Antonelli will be world champion on Sunday if he wins the race while his Mercedes team-mate George Russell is lower than eighth and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton below fourth; Hamilton and Russell start the race fifth and sixth. He leads the standings by 102 points over Russell and by 111 points over Hamilton, putting him in an overwhelmingly strong position to wrap up the title in the coming rounds.
Antonelli described enjoying the weekend more than usual and credited his support network: “I have a great group of people around me,” he said. “I have a lot of friends here as well, so we enjoy the evenings together. We play cards in the evening, so we're just doing the fun stuff.” His delight was audible over team radio as he whooped on his slowing-down lap and he was embraced by his father, Marco, after securing his seventh pole of the campaign.
Rivals faced issues in qualifying: Charles Leclerc complained about his tyres losing grip as temperatures dropped, while Hamilton said: "The car felt really good. The lap was solid, so they were just quicker." Verstappen went into the final session with “high hopes” after setting a competitive time on used tyres in the second session but found his grip had evaporated in the decisive run.
The race outlook remains open because weekend pace can differ from one-lap performance; Verstappen noted the team had been stronger in the long runs, saying: "Yes, we have been happier in the long runs. And I hope that it will be the same tomorrow." Leclerc said he believed he could fight for victory if he could make a good start, while Hamilton cautioned on overtaking at the venue: "You have to be realistic. We're fourth and fifth. It's very hard to overtake here. Even if you're P2 on the grid, it's hard to beat someone (on pole) over a race distance. I raced here since 2012. It took a lot to get past Vettel back then. But maybe with strategy, we can progress."
Antonelli's campaign this year includes eight victories from the 17 races so far and a streak of five consecutive wins following Russell's opening victory in Australia; that form has followed a patchy maiden season in 2025. If he clinches the title in Austin he will become the youngest world champion by a clear margin — he will be 20 years and 61 days old on Sunday while Sebastian Vettel, the current record holder, was 23 years and 133 days when he won his first title in 2010.
The United States Grand Prix race is scheduled for Sunday, with live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live from 19:30 and live text updates on the BBC Sport website and app from 25 October at 20:00 GMT; Verstappen advised Antonelli to keep trying to win here and, if not, to expect celebrations next weekend or the one after, saying: "If it doesn't happen here, it will happen next weekend (in Mexico City). If it doesn't happen next weekend, it will happen the weekend after (in Sao Paulo)."