Antonelli Wins US Grand Prix and Nears F1 Title

Kimi Antonelli has all but sealed his first Formula One world championship after winning the US Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas. He started from pole position, led largely from the front and took his ninth victory of the season.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff described it as the Italian's best race so far. "Getting off the start with the inferior tyre and then controlling it at all times. Exceptional. I think he's outperformed the car," Wolff said.

What he needs in Mexico

At this weekend's Mexican Grand Prix, Antonelli needs only a ninth-place finish or better. He could even finish outside the points, as long as he is ahead of his Mercedes teammate George Russell and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, the only two other drivers still mathematically in the running. A title in Mexico City would make him F1's youngest world champion, at 20.

Asked whether Austin matched his drive from 19th on the grid to victory at the Italian Grand Prix, Wolff said that was special too, but ranked the American win alongside it. Antonelli agreed: "Monza was a super special one and one that I will remember forever. But this one probably in terms of execution was better, because the way we built up and the way we built the performance throughout the weekend was very good."

Doubters answered

Wolff said the result was all the more satisfying given Antonelli's difficult rookie year in 2025. "There are many people that said last year after nine races without points, he shouldn't be in a Mercedes. People in other teams that said he shouldn't even be in Formula One," he said.

Wolff pushed back on any idea that the success came from nowhere. Mercedes took Antonelli into its driver development programme when he was 12 and has backed him through karting and the feeder series. Wolff said the junior team around driver development advisor Gwen Lagrue discovered him at 11, and that he was not the one responsible. He also quoted Ferrari vice chairman Piero Ferrari, who recently said the young driver reminded him of Niki Lauda. "People don't get that this is the work of nine years," Wolff said.

Wolff had pushed for Antonelli to take Hamilton's seat when the British driver left for Ferrari.

Source: The Guardian