Kimi Antonelli won the United States Grand Prix in Austin but will have to wait until Mexico to be crowned Formula 1 world champion after George Russell and Lewis Hamilton kept the title race alive.
The 20-year-old Mercedes driver led from pole and beat Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by 13.078 seconds at the Circuit of The Americas, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen third, according to the official F1 results.
It was Antonelli’s ninth win of the season, but it was not quite enough to wrap up the title. He needed a win, Russell ninth or lower and Lewis Hamilton outside the top four, Sky Sports explained. Hamilton finished fourth and Russell eighth, keeping both in mathematical contention.
How the race unfolded
Antonelli kept the lead at the start as Verstappen made a poor getaway from second, Motorsport.com reported. Mercedes started him on medium tyres and ran a one-stop strategy, switching to hards on lap 25, while many of his rivals stopped twice.
Verstappen briefly led during the pit stops but was forced into a second stop on lap 32 after struggling with engine braking. Leclerc then passed Lando Norris and Verstappen in the closing laps on fresher tyres to take second, his second straight P2 finish.
Read more: Kimi Antonelli Can Win F1 Title at US Grand Prix: What He Needs
Hamilton passed Norris late to take fourth, with Norris fifth and Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar sixth. Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly completed the top 10, while Valtteri Bottas, Oliver Bearman and Franco Colapinto failed to finish.
“It was the result we needed,” Antonelli said, as quoted by BBC Sport. “All this time putting work on the new package and finally seeing the result was very pleasant, perfect strategy to call the one-stop.”
What Antonelli needs in Mexico
Antonelli now has 365 points, 123 clear of Russell on 242 and 124 ahead of Hamilton on 241, according to the official standings. A maximum of 125 points remain across the last five races.
He will be crowned in Mexico City next weekend as long as he doesn’t lose more than 23 points to Russell or 24 to Hamilton, BBC Sport said. That means ninth place is enough even if Russell wins, and if neither Russell nor Hamilton wins, Antonelli is champion wherever he finishes.
Read more: Verstappen Wins Singapore GP as Piastri Finishes Fifth
“I know we are very close,” Antonelli said. “We try to finish on a high and hopefully we can clinch it very soon.”
Oscar Piastri seventh
Australian Oscar Piastri finished seventh for McLaren after being told to let team-mate Norris through early in the race, Motorsport.com reported. Russell took a five-second penalty for going off track while battling Piastri on the first lap, which dropped him behind the Australian, and he couldn’t get past him for almost half the race, Sky Sports reported.
Piastri is seventh in the championship on 144 points. The Mexico City Grand Prix runs from 30 October to 1 November.
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