Kimi Antonelli was in a class of one as he cruised to a dominant win at this year’s United States Grand Prix. After a clean getaway from pole, Antonelli built a healthy lead during his first stint. With his rivals unable to match him and pitting early, the team opted for a one-stop strategy. The gamble paid off, and Antonelli had more than enough pace to consolidate his lead and finish over 13 seconds clear of the field. He may not have sealed the title this weekend, but with his lead now at a staggering 123 points, a ninth-place finish in Mexico will be enough to make Antonelli the youngest ever world champion.
Behind him, Charles Leclerc made a credible recovery. Starting fourth, the Ferrari driver got away cleanly and pulled off a memorable move around the outside of Max Verstappen on the opening lap, only to lose out in the final sector. After opting for a two-stop, Leclerc made steady progress in the closing laps and overtook Verstappen for second on lap 49 to take second.
Uncomfortable in free practice and left wanting in qualifying, Verstappen had a frustrating race. Despite holding second for his opening stint, Verstappen was unhappy with the RB26’s handling and Leclerc eventually passed him. A late-race virtual safety car allowed him to secure third, though Verstappen is now out of mathematical contention for the championship for the first time since 2020.
Lewis Hamilton had a solid run to fourth. After failing to keep pace with his teammate during the opening stint, Hamilton pitted a lap after Verstappen on lap 15. He spent the majority of his race in pursuit of the one-stopping Hadjar and eventually passed him on lap 42, before overtaking Lando Norris five laps later.
McLaren was unable to contend with the likes of Mercedes, Ferrari or Red Bull all weekend. Lando Norris opted for a one-stop strategy and eventually finished fifth, one place ahead of Isack Hadjar.
George Russell’s race was compromised by a five-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage on lap one. A lengthy pursuit of Oscar Piastri was ultimately unsuccessful, and Russell eventually finished eighth, 1.7s behind the McLaren driver. He may have done just enough to keep his flickering title aspirations alive, but Russell’s 2026 championship bid is now effectively over.
Liam Lawson stayed out of trouble and had a controlled drive to ninth, while Pierre Gasly survived a first-lap tangle with Ollie Bearman to take the final points-paying position in tenth.
Nico Hulkenberg finished 11th ahead of Arvid Lindblad, who squeezed Carlos Sainz into the wall off the start. Gabriel Bortoleto recovered to 13th ahead of Esteban Ocon, Lance Stroll, Fernando Alonso, Alex Albon, Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez.
Valtteri Bottas retired on lap 55 with an engine issue; Franco Colapinto retired with mechanical issues, while Ollie Bearman’s race ended on lap 24.
With this result, Kimi Antonelli is within spitting distance of a first world title. However, with just nine points covering the four drivers behind him, the fight for second looks set to be an engrossing one.
