Antonelli Wins in Austin, One Race From Becoming F1’s Youngest Champion

A 13.078-second gap separated Kimi Antonelli from Charles Leclerc at the finish in Austin. The win brought the 20-year-old Mercedes driver within reach of the Formula 1 title. It was his ninth victory this season. Antonelli now leads team-mate George Russell by 123 points, and the next race in Mexico City offers his first chance to become the sport’s youngest champion.^2,6

That 13.078-second margin came from a race plan Mercedes trusted when rivals began stopping early. Antonelli started on medium tyres, held the lead from pole and extended his first stint while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Leclerc made two stops. Antonelli changed tyres only once, switching to hard tyres for the remaining 56 laps. Verstappen finished third, while Leclerc took second. Lewis Hamilton was fourth, and Russell finished eighth after a five-second penalty and a difficult afternoon.^3,6,16

Russell’s eighth place kept the title race alive for another week, but the points gap now gives Antonelli a clear path to the crown. He will be champion in Mexico if he finishes ninth or higher, whatever Russell or Hamilton do. Even if he scores no points, he wins the title if neither rival wins the race. The result also shows how much Mercedes has depended on Antonelli: he has scored 365 of the team’s 607 points this season. Russell has struggled to match his pace in Austin.^2,9,12

The path to the title leads to Mexico City next weekend, where Antonelli says he will stick to the same approach and mindset. The Italian said he personally asked Mercedes to back the one-stop plan and praised the team for trusting his judgment. A ninth-place finish or better there would settle the championship, making him the youngest Formula 1 world champion.^2,11,12