Starting from pole position, Antonelli delivered a commanding performance at the Circuit of The Americas to extend his championship lead to 123 points. Behind him, contrasting tyre strategies and several overtaking battles provided plenty of action. Ferrari placed both cars inside the top four, while Verstappen completed the podium in third.
A strong start sets the tone in Austin
Antonelli had secured pole position on Saturday, beating Verstappen by 0.179 seconds. Ferrari had topped every practice session, but Leclerc and Hamilton could manage only fourth and fifth on the grid.
At the start, Antonelli held off Verstappen despite opting for medium tyres rather than the soft compound chosen by most of his rivals. Leclerc capitalised on a poor getaway from the Dutchman to move into second, but Verstappen responded before the end of the opening lap to reclaim the position.
By then, Antonelli had already opened a gap of around two seconds at the front. The Mercedes driver continued to build his advantage as an intense battle developed for the positions behind him.
Mercedes strategy gives Antonelli the upper hand
Red Bull committed Verstappen to an aggressive two-stop strategy. The four-time world champion made his first tyre change as early as lap 14, with Ferrari drivers Hamilton and Leclerc following shortly afterwards.
Antonelli stayed out considerably longer, making his only pit stop on lap 25 to switch from medium to hard tyres. The hardest compound performed exceptionally well on the Texas circuit, giving Mercedes a strategic advantage over Red Bull.
The different pit-stop timings temporarily reshuffled the lead. On lap 32, Antonelli passed Leclerc on track to regain first place. Verstappen, meanwhile, was making his second stop, which did not go smoothly and cost him valuable time. The Dutchman subsequently dropped to fifth.
Ferrari finishes strongly as Leclerc takes second
While Antonelli managed his advantage at the front, the battle for the remaining podium places intensified. Leclerc made effective use of his tyre strategy and closed in on Verstappen during the closing stages. With only a handful of laps remaining, the Monegasque overtook the Red Bull driver to secure second place.
Hamilton also produced a strong performance. After his second tyre change, the seven-time world champion had fresher tyres than Lando Norris and passed the McLaren driver on lap 51. By finishing fourth, Hamilton also kept his mathematical championship hopes alive.
A brief Virtual Safety Car period followed on lap 53 after Valtteri Bottas stopped his Cadillac on track. The interruption had no significant effect on the final outcome.
Norris finished fifth, ahead of Isack Hadjar and Oscar Piastri. George Russell took eighth after receiving a five-second penalty for gaining an advantage off the track. Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly completed the points-paying positions, while Audi’s Nico Hülkenberg narrowly missed out in 11th.
Russell keeps Antonelli waiting for the title
Antonelli could have become the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history in Austin. For that to happen, however, Russell needed to finish no higher than ninth and Hamilton no higher than fifth.
Russell preserved his slim mathematical title hopes by finishing eighth, meaning Antonelli must wait at least until the next race in Mexico to secure his maiden world championship.
The Italian now leads the standings with 365 points, followed by Russell on 242 and Hamilton on 241. Verstappen (236) and Leclerc (233) are further behind and, with five races remaining, are mathematically out of championship contention.
With nine victories this season, Antonelli is on course to become Italy’s first Formula 1 world champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953. He could also break Sebastian Vettel’s age record, set when the German won the first of his four titles in 2010 at the age of 23.
Mexico could deliver a historic coronation
Formula 1 returns next Sunday, 1 November, for the Mexico City Grand Prix. A ninth-place finish at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez would be enough for Antonelli to secure the championship regardless of his rivals’ results. If he succeeds, he will become the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history at just 20 years and 68 days old.
