Antonelli On The Brink of History | United States Grand Prix 2026

United States Grand Prix 2026

Kimi Antonelli turned an uncertain-looking weekend for Mercedes into a commanding victory in Austin. After Ferrari topped all three practice sessions, Antonelli took a surprise pole position and made an excellent start to control the race. His ninth win of the season left him within touching distance of the championship.

Key moments

• Opening lap: George Russell went off at Turn 12 and made contact with Oscar Piastri while rejoining. The stewards ruled that Russell had gained an advantage and gave him a five-second penalty. McLaren soon switched its drivers around, allowing the quicker Lando Norris past Piastri.
• Strategy battle: Red Bull committed to a two-stop plan, while Mercedes kept Antonelli on a one-stop strategy. Antonelli started on medium tyres and later switched to hard tyres, where his pace helped him pull clear.
• Middle of the race: Russell spent much of the afternoon behind Piastri, who defended effectively. Russell was unable to recover the time lost to the penalty. Antonelli briefly locked up and ran wide after being unsettled by a Williams, but it did little to derail his race.
• Ferrari’s charge: Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton gained ground in the closing stages on hard tyres. Leclerc finished second, while Hamilton came close to the podium. A late virtual safety car affected the closing calculations, though the review judged that Leclerc was unlikely to catch Antonelli.
• Verstappen’s fight: Max Verstappen recovered from a difficult start and had close battles with Leclerc and Norris. Red Bull’s pace faded relative to Mercedes and Ferrari as the race progressed, and Verstappen finished third.
• McLaren’s result: Norris made the one-stop strategy work, managing his hard tyres and defending from Verstappen before finishing fifth. Piastri finished seventh after his first-lap clash with Russell and the time spent defending.
• Midfield and retirements: Isack Hadjar finished sixth, while Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly took ninth and tenth. Gasly sustained floor damage after contact with Ollie Bearman. Bearman, Valtteri Bottas and Franco Colapinto were listed as retirees.

Race results and championship

Antonelli won by 13 seconds over Leclerc, with Verstappen completing the podium. Hamilton finished fourth, followed by Norris, Hadjar, Piastri and Russell.

Antonelli’s championship lead grew to 123 points. The review said he would need only two points at the Mexican Grand Prix to secure the title if Russell won there.

Other discussion

The discussion also covered Austin’s crowded VIP areas and recurring track-limits problems, with a call for gravel to discourage drivers from running wide.

Presenters and sources

Kevin Turner and Jake Boxall-Legge; Stuart Codling, reporting from Austin; Autosport.