Antonelli Clinches Austin Win to Widen Title Gap to 123 Points
A one-stop strategy secured the victory for the 20-year-old Italian, leaving him just five races from his first Formula One crown.
By Giulia Gallagher ·
Kimi Antonelli won the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas on Sunday, extending his lead in the Formula One drivers' championship. The 20-year-old Italian finished the 56-lap race in 1 hour, 35 minutes, and 16.650 seconds. Charles Leclerc crossed the line second, trailing Antonelli by 13.078 seconds.
The victory marks the ninth win of the season for Antonelli. His lead over Mercedes teammate George Russell has grown to 123 points with five races left on the schedule. Russell must win the next race in Mexico City to remain in the title fight. If Russell does not win, the championship will be decided in Antonelli's favor.
Pit strategy determined the race outcome. While most teams executed two stops, Antonelli waited until Lap 25 for his single stop. He did not return to the pit lane for the remainder of the event. Antonelli credited his team for the decision, describing the result as a perfect end to the weekend and an incredible team effort.
Max Verstappen finished third, 17.485 seconds behind the winner. The four-time champion is now mathematically eliminated from the title race. He will go two years without a world championship, having won every title from 2021 to 2024. Verstappen noted that the team's pace and available tires were not optimal, adding that a late Virtual Safety Car may have helped secure his podium position.
The Virtual Safety Car was triggered on Lap 52 when Valtteri Bottas stopped his Cadillac on the track. It remained in effect until the penultimate lap. By that point, no other driver was positioned to challenge Antonelli for the win.
Mercedes also expanded its lead in the constructors' championship to 133 points over Ferrari. Mercedes holds 607 points, while Ferrari has 474. Antonelli has now won both United States races on this year's calendar. The Las Vegas Grand Prix is scheduled for November.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff called the performance the best race Antonelli has produced this year. Wolff said Antonelli controlled the race from start to finish despite starting on the inferior tire. Wolff described the performance as exceptional and noted that Antonelli has outperformed the car's potential. Antonelli agreed that the win was a strong execution, though he recalled his home race at Monza was special because the car was clearly the fastest.
Source: Al Jazeera
