Though the Italian will have to wait longer for a maiden Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship after results elsewhere at the United States Grand Prix.
Kimi Antonelli took a firm lead from the off and never really looked back, as Mercedes stuck to their strategy despite the challengers threatening to disrupt their composure.
Charles Leclerc took a deserved P2 after a strong drive, with Max Verstappen overcoming car and engine issues to finish on the final step of the podium.
The results leave Antonelli looking to Mexico as the ground for his maiden Drivers’ Championship, with his 123-point lead seeming victory inevitable in Mexico City with only 125 points on the table.
Antonelli surges away from the off in Texas
On a weekend where the young Antonelli could bring Italy its first Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship since Alberto Ascari’s 1953 triumph, the Mercedes man got a blistering start down to Turn 1 as Verstappen found himself under immediate pressure from both Ferrari cars.
The pressure would pay, with Leclerc getting by through the first complex and Lewis Hamilton nearly joining his teammate. However, Verstappen found his pace by Turn 15 and the Red Bull dove back down the inside of Leclerc’s Ferrari.
All this left Antonelli over two seconds clear by the end of the first lap, with a short Virtual Safety Car breaking the action for only a few corners. This would pause the early skirmishes, while Antonelli continued to hold his commanding lead by Lap 4.
George Russell found himself under investigation for a first-lap moment, leaving the track at Turn 12 and being alleged to have gained an advantage over the chasing pair of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
Sitting behind his teammate, Norris voiced his thoughts on the radio of being held up by Piastri, while the pair would complete a swap at the first turn of Lap 8.
Despite protestations of Russell and his team on the radio, the stewards would hand the Brit a five-second time penalty on Lap 9.
Ocon would also try some radio-manoeuvring past his teammate as the Haas pair sat in P11 and P12, and suggested his team keep an eye on the onboards after being told he would have to make his way past without a swap.
Red Bull broke the Austin calm with a bold strategy move
In typical Circuit of The Americas fashion, the action calmed as the drivers settled into their opening stint. By Lap 12, most of the action was in the mid-pack – as Ocon got past his teammate and continued his four-up charge, while Fernando Alonso and Alex Albon engaged in a highlight-worthy battle for P15.
The calm continued to suit Antonelli, with the 20-year-old doing all he could in his quest to become the youngest Drivers’ Champion. With Verstappen running the soft compound behind him, the medium-strapped Mercedes held its advantage in the mid-two second range.
But, with little progress being made, Red Bull pulled Verstappen into the pits at the end of Lap 13, bolting on another pair of soft-compound Pirellis and putting the ball in Mercedes’ court to respond.
The move would also force Ferrari to respond, with Hamilton called in for a set of mediums a lap later. But, the Ferrari emerged after a slower-than-usual stop behind the Racing Bull of Liam Lawson.
Further pit stops would take place on Lap 16, with Leclerc and Piastri called in. While Leclerc would emerge ahead of Hamilton in P6 – who had cleared Lawson – Piastri found himself stuck in a pack with Nico Hulkenberg, Arvin Lindblad, and Ocon in P12.
Norris followed in a lap later as McLaren bolted on the hards for both drivers, but the right-rear tyre saw the reigning Drivers’ Champion suffer a slow stop and exit the pits in P9.
Pitting pays pace for Leclerc and Verstappen
A few laps into his stint, Verstappen started taking chunks out of Antonelli’s healthy advantage, to the point that he would inherit the net-lead when Antonelli boxes. Not wanting to be held behind the yet-to-pit Russell, the Dutchman dove down the inside of the Mercedes at Turn 12 for P3.
Leclerc would also make his way past Russell on Lap 20, with the Ferrari having come alive on the medium compound. Hamilton would also join him in setting purple sectors, sitting in P6 and closing in to within two seconds of Russell.
Confident in their one-stop, Mercedes brought Russell in on Lap 23 as he served his five-second penalty and bolted on a set of hards to head for the chequered flag after emerging in P10.
After a slight disagreement on the radio, Isaac Hadjar would let Verstappen past at Lap 23’s Turn 15, with the Frenchman yet to pit and Verstappen now P2 and just 12 seconds behind Antonelli. Verstappen would also voice his displeasure on the radio, frustrated with the team for being stuck in Hadjar’s dirty air.
Antonelli made his stop on Lap 25, re-emerging P4, just ahead of Hamilton as Verstappen went through to inherit the lead.
Sporting far-fresher rubber than Hadjar, Leclerc tried to make his move past the Red Bull at Turn 12, though a dive back down the inside saw the Ferrari held up through Lap 25’s final sector. Hadjar would then box, with Red Bull fitting the hard compound tyres to his RB21.
The Frenchman would express his surprise at his move, and also appeared concerned over the radio at a lack of response from his engine upon exiting the pits.
Cota-calm once more during the second mid-stint period
At the back of the pack, Ollie Bearman boxed to retire, having suffered through a difficult opening half of the race in Austin.
It would be revealed that Hadjar had a pit stop option stuck in his engine map, while Verstappen also complained about his car and radio issues.
Verstappen would be called in on Lap 32 for a set of mediums, with a slow stop seeing him emerge in P5, behind Norris, as Antonelli closed in on the newly-leading Leclerc.
The extra power provided by straight-line mode saw Antonelli able to dive down the inside of Leclerc at Turn 12, the overtaking opportunity of choice so far in Austin, to retake the lead of the race.
And, much like Ferrari found speed in switching to the mediums, Verstappen would regain his pace and set the fastest lap on Lap 33. Over on the Scuderia’s pit wall, Leclerc had been instructed to take care of his rubber to try and build a tyre advantage ahead of a potential three-way battle for victory.
Antonelli, with a lead of over two seconds, had a lock-up at Turn 12, complaining over the radio of Albon’s perceived ignorance of blue flags shown his way.
But, action would once again stall in Austin, though Leclerc peeled in for his final stop of the race on Lap 40 and would be set to sport the hards until the end. Emerging in P4 and a near 25-second gap to Antonelli’s lead, Mercedes seemed fearful that the Monegasque could be a threat at the final throws.
The chasers set out their markers
Lap 42 saw Hamilton dive down the inside of Hadjar’s Red Bull at Turn 1, with both Ferrari cars finding their best pace of the race in stints away from the soft compound.
Ahead, Verstappen started to take chunks out of Norris’ P2 standing, while Ferrari also seemed confident that Leclerc would get himself into that battle with six laps to go.
With Antonelli P1, Hamilton P5, and Russell P8 on Lap 44, any drama for the chasing Mercedes would see Antonelli crowned. However, Russell did hold a 30-second advantage over Lawson in P9.
Hamilton’s pace was providing promise to Ferrari, however, with their hopes of a double-podium hanging on the seven-time Drivers’ Champion climbing and Leclerc besting Norris and Verstappen. The Monegasque had caught the pair by Lap 46, with Norris doing a stellar job of keeping the faster cars behind.
However, his efforts could only defy Verstappen for so long. A late dive at Turn 1 on Lap 47 saw Verstappen take P2, while Norris just about held Leclerc back to keep P3. But, a lock-up from Norris saw Leclerc sail by during the final sector.
Up at the front, it was all continuing to be controlled for the title hopeful, with Antonelli’s lead still over 16 seconds to Verstappen behind as the race reached Lap 49.
But, Verstappen would not be the chaser for much longer. A dive down the inside of Verstappen at Turn 12 saw Leclerc take P2 and set his sights on Antonelli, though it would surely be too late for any move.
Norris’ tyres continued to shrink his pace as Hamilton took P4 on Lap 51, while an incredibly slow Valterri Bottas was lapped.
And Bottas’ Cadillac threatens to throw up late drama
Unable to continue, the Cadillac peeled to the side of the road with engine issues. Though, the stewards would only call for a Virtual Safety Car and running would resume on Lap 53 with the car recovered.
However, with the race having been neutralised. The battle for P3 between Verstappen and Hamilton would not come to fruition. And, at the flag it would be Antonelli who took a supreme victory.
It would not be the title for the Italian, yet, but the P4 and P8 of Hamilton and Russell will only boost his hopes heading into the Mexican Grand Prix.
Leclerc followed the youngster home for P2, with Verstappen rounding out the podium.
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