Antonelli wins United States Grand Prix to move within two points of title

Kimi Antonelli moved to within two points of his first Formula 1 world championship with victory in the United States Grand Prix, according to BBC Sport's race report. The Mercedes driver left Austin with a 123-point advantage over team-mate George Russell, but must wait until at least the next race in Mexico City to secure the title.

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The 20-year-old Italian can settle the championship next weekend by finishing ninth, even if Russell wins. A 10th-place finish would be sufficient if Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton takes victory instead. Russell and Hamilton both kept their mathematical chances alive in Austin, although Antonelli will become champion regardless of his own finishing position if neither rival wins in Mexico City.

Antonelli established his winning position immediately. A strong getaway, combined with the opening-lap fight between Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen, helped him build a lead of more than two seconds by the end of the first lap. Mercedes started him on medium tyres, while Leclerc and Red Bull drivers Verstappen and Isack Hadjar began on softs. Antonelli completed the race with one pit stop and finished 16 seconds ahead of Leclerc.

Behind the winner, Leclerc's contest with Verstappen continued through contrasting tyre strategies. Verstappen made his second stop on lap 31, while Leclerc extended his middle stint by another eight laps. The Ferrari driver emerged 8.5 seconds behind and rapidly reduced that deficit. After both passed Lando Norris, Leclerc overtook Verstappen at Turn One on lap 49 to claim second place. Verstappen finished third, holding off Hamilton by one second.

Russell's afternoon offered little opportunity to limit the damage in the championship. Starting sixth, he received a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. That dropped him to 10th after his pit stop, and he recovered only to eighth. Norris finished fifth ahead of Hadjar, while Oscar Piastri took seventh after keeping Russell behind for half the race. Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly completed the points positions.

The victory was Antonelli's first since the Spanish Grand Prix the previous month. BBC Sport reported that Mercedes' upgraded package, introduced two races earlier in Malaysia, had initially hurt performance before further work brought improvements. Antonelli credited the team's development effort and its decision to use a one-stop strategy, leaving Mexico City as his next opportunity to complete the championship campaign.