Antonelli wins US Grand Prix as F1 title fight heads to Mexico

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli claimed his ninth victory of the 2026 Formula 1 season at the United States Grand Prix on Sunday, October 25, extending his championship lead but narrowly missing the chance to secure his first world title.

The Italian converted pole position into victory at the Circuit of The Americas, finishing 13.078 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen completed the podium, holding off Lewis Hamilton by just over a second.

Antonelli’s victory moved him 123 points clear of Mercedes team-mate George Russell, with 125 points still available across the remaining races. However, Hamilton’s fourth-place finish and Russell’s eighth ensured the championship would continue to Mexico City.

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The 20-year-old controlled much of the 56-lap race, with Mercedes’ one-stop strategy proving more effective than the aggressive two-stop approaches adopted by Red Bull and Ferrari.

Verstappen challenges Mercedes with early pit stop

Antonelli made a strong start from pole despite beginning the race on medium tyres, while Verstappen and both Ferrari drivers opted for the softer compound.

We’re underway in Texas! Kimi Antonelli retains his lead off the start 💨 #F1 #USGP https://t.co/9xzQPPDrP6

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 25, 2026

Leclerc briefly overtook Verstappen at the first corner, but the Dutchman reclaimed second place at Turn 15. Their battle allowed Antonelli to build an advantage of more than two seconds by the second lap.

A brief Virtual Safety Car period followed contact between Alex Albon and Fernando Alonso, but the Mercedes driver maintained his lead after racing resumed.

Red Bull made the first major strategic move on lap 14, bringing Verstappen in for another set of soft tyres. Ferrari responded by stopping Hamilton and Leclerc over the following two laps, while Mercedes kept Antonelli on track.

📻 "This is what you’re doing" 👀 Isack Hadjar wasn’t too happy about letting Max Verstappen by… 🔀 #F1 #USGP https://t.co/LGBomMX41t

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 25, 2026

The Italian eventually made his only pit stop on lap 25, switching to hard tyres and rejoining fourth.

Verstappen temporarily inherited the lead, but his second stop on lap 32 dropped him to fifth. Antonelli then overtook Leclerc at Turn 12 to regain first place on lap 33.

With his mandatory tyre change completed, the Mercedes driver could concentrate on managing his tyres to the chequered flag.

Ferrari fights back as Verstappen loses second place

Ferrari’s decision to switch both drivers to a two-stop strategy created a late challenge for the podium positions.

Leclerc returned to the track on fresh hard tyres after his second stop on lap 40 and immediately began closing on the cars ahead.

Meanwhile, Verstappen found himself stuck behind Lando Norris, whose McLaren was running a longer stint on worn hard tyres.

The Dutchman eventually passed Norris at Turn 1 on lap 47, but Leclerc followed through a lap later before overtaking Verstappen at Turn 12 on lap 49.

Diving into P2! 🔼 This is how Leclerc passed Verstappen in Austin! 😮‍💨 #F1 #USGP https://t.co/DVGRIkvVs2

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 25, 2026

The move secured second place for Leclerc, although Antonelli’s advantage of more than 16 seconds left the Ferrari driver with too much ground to recover.

Hamilton also benefited from fresher tyres, passing Isack Hadjar for fifth before overtaking Norris to move into fourth.

A late Virtual Safety Car, triggered by Valtteri Bottas stopping with a mechanical problem on lap 52, interrupted the closing stages. Racing resumed with three laps remaining, leaving Leclerc unable to mount a serious challenge for victory.

⚠️ VIRTUAL SAFETY CAR ⚠️ Valtteri Bottas has stopped his Cadillac on track #F1 #USGP | LAP 52/56 https://t.co/r4nTUbFQSu

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 25, 2026

Antonelli crossed the line comfortably ahead of the Ferrari driver, while Verstappen retained third despite Hamilton closing to within 1.030 seconds.

Penalties and retirements disrupt midfield battle

Further down the field, Russell endured a difficult afternoon after receiving a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage during the opening lap.

Looking back to Lap 1 ⏮️ Russell and Piastri appear to have made contact back on the first lap 😱 #F1 #USGP https://t.co/WrCJnNG60o

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 25, 2026

The Mercedes driver served the penalty at his pit stop but struggled to recover positions, spending much of the second half of the race behind Oscar Piastri.

Russell eventually finished eighth, behind the McLaren driver.

Haas driver Oliver Bearman also received a 10-second penalty for causing a collision with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly. Bearman later retired because of damage sustained during the race.

⚠️ TEN-SECOND PENALTY ⚠️ Ollie Bearman is penalised for this collision with Pierre Gasly from the first lap ⬇️ #F1 #USGP https://t.co/GHPwIx1UqG

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 25, 2026

Franco Colapinto was another retirement, while Bottas’ mechanical failure brought out the late Virtual Safety Car.

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Norris finished fifth for McLaren, followed by Hadjar in sixth. Piastri took seventh, while Liam Lawson and Gasly completed the points-paying positions.

Antonelli moves within reach of first world championship

Antonelli’s victory continued his impressive run of results in 2026, strengthening his bid to become Formula 1’s youngest world champion.

Mercedes’ decision to remain committed to a one-stop strategy proved decisive, particularly after Verstappen’s early stop appeared to threaten Antonelli’s track position.

Despite winning from pole, Antonelli could not secure the championship in Austin because his closest rivals finished high enough to keep their mathematical chances alive.

The Italian now heads to the Mexican Grand Prix with a 123-point advantage over Russell and just 125 points remaining.

2026 United States Grand Prix: Top 10 results