Austin, Texas, 25 October 2026

Kimi Antonelli is one race from becoming Formula 1’s youngest world champion. He converted pole position into his ninth win of the season at the Circuit of the Americas, and the title is now very likely to be decided in Mexico City.

The 20-year-old Mercedes driver was never seriously troubled. He got off the line brilliantly from pole despite starting on the medium tyres, and had already pulled a 2.4-second gap by the end of the first lap. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton scrapped over second behind him, but Antonelli was already out of reach. He retook control once the cars ahead had made their final stops and took the flag as a dominant winner.

Charles Leclerc finished second for Ferrari and Verstappen third for Red Bull, with Hamilton fourth. Lando Norris saw a podium slip away.

The day went far worse for his team-mate and nearest title rival. George Russell served a five-second penalty for an opening-lap incident, pitting on lap 22 and rejoining in tenth. He recovered only to eighth, 54.303 seconds behind the winner.

That result decided how close the title now is. Antonelli could only have clinched in Austin if he won, Hamilton finished outside the top four and Russell was ninth or lower. Hamilton’s fourth place and Russell’s eighth kept the championship alive, but only just. Antonelli now has 365 points, a 123-point lead over Russell and 124 over Hamilton.

The maths for Mexico is simple. He needs only a ninth-place finish to be sure of the championship. A driver who has already won nine times this year and has stood on the podium regularly all season has little to fear from that.

Antonelli’s age gives the achievement its extra weight. At 20, he would be the youngest champion in the sport’s history and Italy’s first since 1953. That would beat the record Sebastian Vettel set when he won the title at 23 with Red Bull in 2010.

Austin was never a coronation, but it left Antonelli a single, manageable step from one. If he finishes in the top nine in Mexico, a record that has stood for 16 years will fall.