Kimi Antonelli has inched closer to becoming the youngest-ever F1 world champion after winning the United States GP. This marks the Mercedes driver’s ninth Grand Prix win so far this season and hands him a 123-point lead at the top of the standings.
Charles Leclerc pulled off a late overtake on Max Verstappen to pick up his second consecutive P2 finish.
- Antonelli wins, 13.078sec ahead of Leclerc
- Hamilton just one point behind Russell for P2 overall
Antonelli wins F1 US GP
Starting from pole position, Antonelli enjoyed a strong launch to storm into the lead. While his rivals stopped twice, Antonelli made a one-stop strategy work to win with a margin of 13.078sec. He now needs just two more points to seal the drivers’ title at Mexico.
“The car felt great today, and I was able to control the race, but it definitely wasn’t easy. There was pressure throughout, and I knew I couldn’t afford to make a mistake. I just tried to stay calm, focus on each lap and execute the race,” said Antonelli.
Leclerc defeats Verstappen
A poor start dropped Verstappen behind Leclerc, but the Dutchman eventually recovered and climbed back up to P2. Red Bull opted for a more aggressive two-stop strategy, but Verstappen struggled with power unit issues in the closing stages of the race.
Leclerc capitalised on this and passed Verstappen for P2, before Valtteri Bottas’s stoppage neutralised the race. With this, Verstappen is out of contention for the drivers’ title for the first time since 2020.
Hamilton closes in on P2 overall
Lewis Hamilton did complain about balance issues during the race, but his P4 finish still handed him some valuable points. With George Russell (who was handed a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage at the start) finishing down in P8, Hamilton is now just one point behind overall P2 in the standings.
Lando Norris ended up P5, followed by Isack Hadjar and Oscar Piastri. Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly rounded out the top 10.
Up next on the F1 calendar is the Mexico GP on October 30-November 1, where we very well could see Antonelli being crowned world champion.
Stephen Raj Antony
Saptarshi Mondal
