Kimi Antonelli wins US Grand Prix at COTA but must wait for title in Mexico
Kimi Antonelli won the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas on October 25, 2026, converting pole into victory but failing to secure the Formula One world championship in Austin; the title now appears set to be decided at next week’s Mexican Grand Prix.
Antonelli’s ninth win of the season left him 20 years old and leading the standings by 123 points over George Russell and by 124 points over Lewis Hamilton. With nine victories he cannot be caught on countback and needs to be 100 points clear after the Mexican Grand Prix; any finish ahead of Russell and Hamilton, or ninth or better regardless of where his two rivals finish, will make him the youngest driver to claim the sport’s crown and the first Italian champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953.
The race in Austin unfolded largely around a strategic split: Mercedes drivers Antonelli and Russell ran a one-stop plan while Red Bull and Ferrari opted for two stops. Antonelli led from the start, completed a long first stint while rivals stopped, then regained and held the lead without needing a second visit to the pits, with the one-stop approach ultimately proving the quicker option.
Charles Leclerc finished second after passing Max Verstappen late on, with Verstappen taking third following a period of spirited overtaking using fresher tyres. Verstappen’s recovery was mitigated, the report said, by some engine-braking problems. Lewis Hamilton finished fourth for Ferrari, Lando Norris was fifth for McLaren and George Russell came home eighth.
Antonelli’s pole lap was his first since the Belgian Grand Prix in July and he converted it into a composed race, delivering what the report described as a cool-headed drive to put one hand on the title. The article recalled his early-season five-race run of victories as the foundation of his championship command and said he went into the weekend insisting he just wanted to have fun, to perform at his best and not let the title play on his mind.
Mercedes’s package, which had shown a minor wobble when upgrades were introduced in Malaysia, was said to have been brought back toward competitiveness. The team’s operating window was described as narrower but more workable, and Antonelli appeared comfortable in a car that once more showed an advantage around a circuit requiring balance through high-speed, slow-speed and heavy-braking sections.
The championship will be resolved at the next round in Mexico City, where Antonelli can secure the world title if he meets the points and finishing requirements outlined after his Austin victory.
