Antonelli wins in Austin and nears Formula 1 title

Italian driver Kimi Antonelli won the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix on Sunday, October 26, 2026, at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, moving closer to securing the world title. With this result, the 20-year-old extended his lead to 123 points over teammate George Russell and 124 over Lewis Hamilton, with 125 points still available across the season's remaining five stages. To mathematically clinch the championship, Antonelli needs only a ninth-place finish in any of the remaining races, or a combination of results where Russell and Hamilton do not win every remaining event. In the Austin race, the Mercedes driver secured pole position and dominated from start to finish, opening a lead of over two seconds on the very first lap. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc took second place after winning a battle against Max Verstappen, while Russell finished in eighth. The title decision has been postponed to the Mexico Grand Prix. For Brazil, the American stage marked the participation of Gabriel Bortoleto, who started 21st and finished 13th, making several overtakes throughout the race without scoring points, but overcoming engine difficulties faced in previous stages.