AUSTIN – While it wasn’t a championship just yet for Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, the United States Grand Prix represented his ninth victory in Formula 1. But even though he finished the day with a 13-second gap over his nearest competitor, Antonelli had his eyes on one man in his rearview mirror: Max Verstappen.
Antonelli had committed to a one-stop strategy, but the Red Bull Racing driver pitted twice for fresh tyres, prompting fears in the Mercedes camp that a challenge for the lead wasa on the way.
Kimi Antonelli puts together an Austin masterclass
There was a mathematical possibility, albeit a slight one, that Kimi Antonelli could be crowned World Champion in Austin, Texas. To do so, he would have not only needed to win the race, but he’d have needed his teammate and nearest title rival George Russell to finish ninth or lower.
Antonelli put together the masterclass; Russell kept his head above water for another weekend by finishing eighth. The title battle will move on to Mexico. For now, though, the Italian driver is taking a moment to celebrate his win.
Speaking to media, including Motorsport Week, in the post-race press conference, Antonelli was extremely positive about his result, calling the race, “one of the best because of how we built up during the weekend, and it was a great team effort as well today, especially with strategy, believing in the one-stop.
“So, it was a really great team effort, and they all did a good job today.”
Max Verstappen challenge fears persisted
Antonelli started the US Grand Prix on medium tyres, while his closest competitors at the front of the field started on softs, but the Italian proved he’d made the right choice by making a clean and quick launch into Turn 1. By the end of the first lap, it was clear it was his race to lose.
The only concern came in the form of strategy. Antonelli and Mercedes committed to a one-stop race that would see him swap from medium to hard tyres and then manage that rubber to the chequered flag. Once that strategy became clear, Antonelli’s rivals needed to pivot in hopes of having a shot at snatching the win.
Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing, the man who won the previous two Grands Prix, was one of the drivers to pivot. He tried a two-stop strategy, gambling on the possibility of a late-race safety car that would have put Antonelli in a compromising position.
That safety car never came, but his rival’s strategy nevertheless had Antonelli worried.
“I was a bit concerned in the beginning,” Antonelli admitted of his strategy to media, “but then we were able to extend. And actually the pace came back with the medium, and we were able to extend without losing too much time.
“Then after doing the first thing on the medium, we were like, ‘oh, we’re going to go for one-stop’, and the car, to be fair, felt very robust, so I felt pretty confident to go all the way to the end.
“I just didn’t know how much management was required, but it was good, and the car felt very good today.”
‘Good’ is perhaps an understatement. Antonelli’s double-digit gap over second-placed Charles Leclerc is his second-largest margin of victory in 2026. For his effort, he climbed to 365 points in the World Drivers’ Championship, 113 points ahead of Russell.
READ MORE – F1 2026 United States GP – Race Results
Discussion about this post