Kimi Antonelli came extremely close to claiming the F1 Drivers’ Title at the US Grand Prix on Sunday but narrowly missed out. Now, the Mercedes driver simply needs to finish ninth or higher at the upcoming Mexican Grand Prix to secure the championship.
Antonelli needed to win the race in Austin and hope that George Russell finished ninth or lower, while Lewis Hamilton finished fifth or lower, to claim the title. While the 20-year-old did his part by claiming the victory, both Russell and Hamilton live to fight another day following their results on Sunday.
But with Hamilton finishing fourth and Russell eighth at the Circuit of the Americas, this now leaves Antonelli in a nearly uncatchable position going into the upcoming Mexican GP. The Italian driver now leads the championship by 123 points from Russell and 124 points from Hamilton, with only 125 points remaining this year.
This means that Antonelli only needs to secure two more points to knock Russell out of contention, while only one more point to knock Hamilton out of contention in Mexico, claiming the 2026 F1 drivers’ title for himself.
He will also automatically win the title if neither Russell nor Hamilton wins the race in Mexico City, as either driver needs a full 25-point swing to stay in contention beyond the next round, with only 100 points remaining afterward.
3 Drivers Knocked Out of Title Contention After Kimi Antonelli’s Win at the US Grand Prix
Three major names have been knocked out of title contention after the US Grand Prix, as they simply cannot catch Antonelli at the top of the standings after the results in Texas. These are Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris.
For Verstappen, this means the search for a fifth world championship goes on. Meanwhile, Leclerc will go into 2027 searching for a maiden drivers’ title. Reigning world champion Norris cannot defend his crown in 2026 either and will give up the number 1 at the end of the year.
Kimi Antonelli Hoping to Claim F1 Title “Very Soon”
After the US Grand Prix, Antonelli said that he is hoping to clinch the 2026 F1 Drivers’ Title “very soon.” The driver admitted that he is now in the final stages of his title bid and is hoping to end the season on a high.
“We’re very close. But, yeah, we’ll try to finish on a high, and hopefully we can clinch it very soon,” Antonelli said in the post-race interview on Sunday.
“It was the result we needed, to be fair, and the whole team deserves it so much,” he added, speaking about his race.
Antonelli also credited the Mercedes strategy team for his win on Sunday, acknowledging that their call to stick with a one-stop strategy, while drivers around him preferred a two-stop, helped him take the win.
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- “I Invite Him To Ride in My Car”: Max Verstappen Snaps as COTA Boss Bobby Epstein Downplays Poor Conditions
- Luisinha Oliveira Recalls Online Abuse She Faced While Dating Lando Norris: “A Result of Falling in Love”
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Charles Leclerc Reminds Lewis Hamilton of “The Line” Ferrari Drivers Must Not Cross Against Each Other at COTA
“I’m 42 and My Back Is Fine”: Lewis Hamilton Seemingly Takes Dig at Max Verstappen Amid Spine Injury Complaints
“I Invite Him To Ride in My Car”: Max Verstappen Snaps as COTA Boss Bobby Epstein Downplays Poor Conditions
Luisinha Oliveira Recalls Online Abuse She Faced While Dating Lando Norris: “A Result of Falling in Love”
