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Antonelli Wins US GP But Title Wait Continues
· Confirmed
In Short: Kimi Antonelli secured a dominant victory at the United States Grand Prix but his Formula One title hopes remain unfulfilled.
Kimi Antonelli clinched a commanding victory at the 2026 United States Grand Prix, extending his championship lead but falling short of sealing the title outright. According to Autosport and Motorsport.com, Antonelli held onto his lead from the start, finishing 16 seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc.
BBC (United Kingdom) and Autosport reported that Antonelli's ninth win of the season was not enough to clinch the championship immediately. Antonelli's strategy of using hard tires for the entire race, eschewing the soft tires used by most competitors, allowed him to maintain a narrow but consistent lead.
News Room Guyana (Guyana) and BBC (United Kingdom) highlighted Antonelli's performance, noting that he started on medium tires and maintained a strong lead throughout the race. Motorsport.com reported that Verstappen struggled with engine braking issues, calling his Red Bull 'undriveable'.
RTE.ie (Ireland) and Sport Nation (New Zealand) both reported that Antonelli's victory in Austin was a significant blow to George Russell's title hopes. Russell, who started sixth, opted for medium tires but was unable to challenge Antonelli's lead.
The Race and Motorsportweek reported that Antonelli's rivals, including Verstappen and Leclerc, started on soft tires, while Antonelli and Russell chose medium tires. This strategy allowed Antonelli to control the race and maintain a steady lead.
Antonelli's victory at the United States Grand Prix extended his championship lead but did not secure the title. He will have another chance to clinch the championship at the Mexico Grand Prix next weekend.
Antonelli's post-race comments, reported by multiple outlets, reflected his focus on the upcoming race, emphasizing that the championship is not yet secure. 'It's crazy if you think about it, but that's why I won't think about it,' Antonelli said, according to BBC (United Kingdom) and Formula 1.
The BBC (United Kingdom) and Autosport agreed that Antonelli's victory was crucial but not decisive. Both outlets noted that Antonelli will be crowned champion in Mexico City next weekend as long as he does not lose more than 23 points to Russell or more than 24 to Hamilton.
The accounts agree that Antonelli's strategy of using hard tires for the entire race was a key factor in his victory. This strategy allowed him to maintain a consistent lead and outlast his rivals who had to make pit stops.
The comparison shows that while Antonelli's victory was impressive, it did not clinch the championship outright. The championship will be decided at the Mexico Grand Prix next weekend.
What this adds
WarpBeat previously reported that Antonelli's post-race comments reflected his focus on the upcoming race, emphasizing that the championship is not yet secure.
WarpBeat also noted that Antonelli's victory at the United States Grand Prix extended his championship lead but did not secure the title.
Background
Antonelli's post-race comments, reported by multiple outlets, reflected his focus on the upcoming race, emphasizing that the championship is not yet secure.
Kimi Antonelli clinched a commanding victory at the 2026 United States Grand Prix, extending his lead in the Formula One championship.
The United States Grand Prix is a motor racing event that has been held on and off since 1908, when it was known as the American Grand Prize. The Grand Prix later became part of the Formula One World Championship.
What's confirmed
- Antonelli held onto his lead at the start of the 56-lap race as second-placed Verstappen suffered a poor getaway.
- Kimi Antonelli has won nine of the 18 races so far this season Kimi Antonelli just missed out on clinching his first world title in a dominant victory in the United States Grand Prix.
- "It was the result we needed. The whole team deserve it so much," Antonelli said.
- Verstappen and the Ferrari were among the majority to start on the softest compound and were motivated to pressure Antonelli early, but none could genuinely match the Mercedes driver before their first stops.
- Antonelli did everything required of him in Austin, taking pole and converting it to a win, his ninth of the season.
- Interestingly, Antonelli and Russell, who started sixth on the grid, opted to start on medium tyres, while Max Verstappen in second, Isack Hadjar in third, Charles Leclerc in fourth and Lewis Hamilton in fifth went for the softs.
What's still developing
- That left a temporary top three of Antonelli, Hadjar and Russell until all came in for what was supposed to be their only pitstop, with Antonelli eschewing the soft tyres entirely to go from mediums to hards on lap 25.
- Mercedes didn't take the bait and kept Antonelli out as it looked determined to stay on a one-stop strategy.
- Antonelli's sublime victory, his first since the Spanish Grand Prix last month A race-long squabble between Leclerc and Verstappen for second place Antonelli took control of the race from the very beginning, an excellent start combined with a gripping scrap through the first lap between Verstappen and Leclerc leaving him more than two seconds clear by the end of the first lap.
- And Antonelli was able to convert that choice into a one-stop race while almost everyone else did two, emphasising his superiority as he finished 16 seconds clear of Leclerc.
- Part 1 of Antonelli's job was done Saturday as he soared to a magnificent pole as the sun began to drop on the Circuit of the Americas.
- While Verstappen pitted for a fresh set of tires on Lap 31, Antonelli was released into second, and he quickly regained the lead from the Ferrari driver, and began to pull away.
- They ran in that order at the start, too, Antonelli holding the lead off the line on medium tyres and Leclerc squeezing past Verstappen into Turn 4 as the Red Bull appeared to struggle for traction and/or power on the run downhill out of the first corner.
- Kimi Antonelli took a dominant victory at the US Grand Prix, with a controlled and composed drive to beat the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc into second place, but it was not quite enough for the Italian to seal his first Formula One world championship at the Circuit of the Americas.
- During the red flag for Leclerc's crash, Antonelli was one of a handful to choose medium tyres instead of hards for the restart - having taken the intial start on the hard compound.
- After some difficult moments during his rookie campaign, Antonelli bounced back from a big crash in the final practice session ahead of this year’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix to deliver a strong qualifying performance, and then a P2 to begin the year.
- Italian starts at the back of the grid but roars through field for his seventh win There was a lot of conversation on whether local team Ferrari or local boy Kimi Antonelli would do the Italian job at Monza on Sunday and at the end of a dramatic race, the 20-year-old Italian produced a sizzling drive from the back of the grid to see off Mercedes teammate George Russell for his seventh win of the season.
- Antonelli was already set to extend his championship lead over Russell by three points when his team mate dramatically ground to a halt on the start/finish straight behind that final Safety Car, dealing another blow to the Briton's already slim title chances.