Kimi Antonelli Wins 2026 U.S. Grand Prix, Moves to Brink of F1 Title
Kimi Antonelli won the 2026 United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas, converting pole position into a 13.078-second victory over Charles Leclerc. Max Verstappen finished third, while results for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell kept the Formula 1 drivers’ championship mathematically open for at least one more week.
Antonelli’s ninth win of the season came through a clean start and a one-stop tire strategy that separated his Mercedes from most of the front-running cars. The 20-year-old led the opening lap, extended his first stint on medium tires and then managed the hard compound to the finish.
The victory followed Antonelli’s pole position on Saturday, when he beat Verstappen by 0.179 seconds. Sunday’s margin was much larger: the official Formula 1 race report records Antonelli’s winning time as 1 hour, 35 minutes, 16.650 seconds.
A strong start put Antonelli in control
Antonelli retained the lead into Turn 1 as Verstappen made a poor launch from the front row. Leclerc briefly moved into second, but Verstappen recovered the position before the end of the opening lap and began pursuing the Mercedes.
The tire choices created the strategic split. Antonelli and the McLaren drivers started on medium tires, while most of the rest of the top 10 chose softs. That allowed Antonelli to run longer before his only stop. Verstappen and Leclerc ultimately made two stops, leaving them to recover track position during the final third of the 56-lap race.
Antonelli retook the lead from Leclerc with 20 laps remaining and stayed there. A late Virtual Safety Car, triggered when Valtteri Bottas stopped on track, reduced the amount of full-speed running near the finish but did not erase Antonelli’s advantage.
Leclerc won the fight for second
The closest contest among the leaders was behind Antonelli. Verstappen passed Lando Norris for second at the start of Lap 47, but Leclerc then used his fresher tires to overtake the McLaren and continue after the Red Bull. The Ferrari driver ultimately took second, 13.078 seconds behind Antonelli and 4.407 seconds ahead of Verstappen.
Hamilton finished fourth, one second behind Verstappen, with Norris fifth. Isack Hadjar placed sixth in the second Red Bull, followed by Oscar Piastri, Russell, Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly.
- Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes — 1:35:16.650
- Charles Leclerc, Ferrari — +13.078 seconds
- Max Verstappen, Red Bull — +17.485 seconds
- Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari — +18.515 seconds
- Lando Norris, McLaren — +30.521 seconds
- Isack Hadjar, Red Bull
- Oscar Piastri, McLaren
- George Russell, Mercedes
- Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls
- Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Franco Colapinto, Ollie Bearman and Bottas were the three retirements. Gabriel Bortoleto recovered to 13th after starting 21st following extensive power-unit penalties.
Why the championship was not decided in Austin
Antonelli did his part by winning, but the other required results did not fall into place. Hamilton needed to finish fifth or lower and Russell ninth or lower for Antonelli to clinch the championship in Austin. Instead, Hamilton was fourth and Russell eighth.
That postpones the decision rather than substantially changing Antonelli’s position. Reuters reported after the race that Antonelli now needs only two points — the equivalent of ninth place — at the Mexico City Grand Prix to guarantee the title regardless of what his rivals do.
If he completes the job, Antonelli would become Formula 1’s youngest drivers’ champion. Austin eliminated the uncertainty for several contenders, but Russell and Hamilton did enough to keep the championship technically alive.
Mercedes turned qualifying speed into race pace
Ferrari had led all three Austin practice sessions, including a Friday sweep by Leclerc, but Mercedes found the fastest qualifying lap and then executed the most effective race strategy with Antonelli. His long medium-tire stint gave the team flexibility, and the hard tires lasted without requiring a second stop.
The victory was not simply a product of track position. Antonelli still had to control tire wear, pass Leclerc after the Ferrari’s later stop sequence put it ahead and avoid mistakes through COTA’s high-speed first sector and heavy braking zones. The final margin reflected both speed and strategy.
What comes next
Formula 1 moves directly to the Mexico City Grand Prix at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez from October 30 through November 1. Antonelli arrives with the simplest possible target: score at least two points and the 2026 title is his.
A ninth-place finish would be enough, but the Austin result suggests Mercedes will aim much higher. Antonelli has now won nine Grands Prix this season, and his COTA performance combined control at the start with patient tire management over the full race distance.
Sources
- Formula 1: United States Grand Prix race report and classification, October 25, 2026
- Formula 1: 2026 United States Grand Prix event page, October 25, 2026
- Reuters: Antonelli wins U.S. Grand Prix but must wait for title, October 25, 2026
Featured image: Kimi Antonelli driving the 2026 Mercedes W17 ahead of Lando Norris during the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort. Archive image from the same season and car, not the Austin race. Photo by Steffen Prößdorf via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
