‘It was the result we needed’ – Antonelli hoping to win title ‘very soon’ after ‘perfect’ US GP

Kimi Antonelli is on the brink of securing his maiden Drivers’ Championship after “perfect execution” helped him win the United States Grand Prix, edging him towards an unbeatable points total.

Starting from pole position, the 20-year-old built on his strong start to lead Red Bull’s Max Verstappen before Mercedes carried out a clever one-stop strategy that enabled him to confidently control the race.

Challenges from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and the Dutchman, who ultimately finished second and third respectively, dissipated as Antonelli’s dominance grew. After 56 laps, he crossed the line 13.078s clear of Leclerc to clinch his ninth Grand Prix victory of the 2026 season.

Speaking shortly after his triumph, Antonelli said: “It was the result we needed. The whole team deserves it so much and all this time putting in so much work on bringing this new package and finally seeing the result is very pleasant.

“It was also perfect execution from strategy to call the one-stop so I’m really happy we made it stick, and it was a great team effort.”

Victory has increased Antonelli’s points total in the drivers’ standings to 365, giving him a 123-point advantage over George Russell after the Briton finished in eighth place at the Circuit of The Americas.

As long as the Italian doesn’t lose more than 23 points to his team mate – or 24 to Lewis Hamilton – at the next round in Mexico City, he will be crowned the youngest World Champion in the history of F1.

Reflecting on that possibility, Antonelli said: “We're very close but we’ll try to finish on a high, and hopefully we can clinch it very soon.”

He later added: “I’m very excited. I would love to clinch the title in style with a great result.

“That’s the mindset. That’s always the mindset, and that’s what the mindset is going to be from now until the end of the season. I’m just going to try to enjoy every moment because they’re moments that will always be remembered.”