Antonelli wins in Austin and edges closer to the world title
Kimi Antonelli won the United States Grand Prix in Austin, finishing 16 seconds clear of Charles Leclerc of Ferrari. The result leaves the 20-year-old Mercedes driver with a real chance to become Formula 1 world champion at the next race in Mexico City.
Antonelli, Italian and in his second Formula 1 season, also started from pole position, beating Max Verstappen of Red Bull by 0.179 seconds in qualifying. Verstappen finished behind him on the road as well, with Leclerc completing the podium. A title would make Antonelli the youngest world champion in the sport's history, according to Yahoo Sports.
The race was won on tyre strategy as much as speed. Mercedes started on medium tyres, which are harder and last longer, while Leclerc and the Red Bull drivers began on new soft tyres, which are quicker but wear out faster. Antonelli made one pit stop to change tyres. Everyone else made two. Fewer stops mean less time lost in the pit lane, and Antonelli held his advantage to the flag, as the BBC reported.
The win was worth 25 points, the amount awarded for victory. After Austin, Antonelli leads his team-mate George Russell by 123 points. It was also his first win since the Spanish Grand Prix last month, and it follows his victory at Monza in September, where he started 19th and finished ahead of Russell by 3.857 seconds.
The title could be settled in Mexico City next weekend. The BBC's breakdown says Antonelli will be crowned champion there as long as he does not lose more than 23 points to Russell and 24 points to Lewis Hamilton. In practical terms, if Hamilton wins in Mexico City, Antonelli would need to finish 10th or better to take the title. If Russell wins, a ninth-place finish would be enough. If neither Russell nor Hamilton wins, Antonelli is champion whatever position he finishes in.
Those numbers make the arithmetic simple to follow, but the racing will not be. In practice in Austin, Leclerc was only 0.042 seconds quicker than Antonelli, and in final practice Hamilton led Verstappen and Leclerc, with Antonelli fourth and Russell fifth, according to FIA timing. Mexico City is the next chance to settle the title, and every point on offer will matter to all four drivers.
