During the 2026 United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, Kimi Antonelli secured his ninth victory of the season. The Mercedes driver started from pole position and maintained a controlled performance throughout the race.
Antonelli crossed the finish line 13.078 seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc, who finished second for Ferrari. Max Verstappen completed the podium in third place for Red Bull.
Despite his dominant win, Antonelli was unable to mathematically clinch the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship. He required Lewis Hamilton to finish no higher than fifth and George Russell to place ninth or lower.
Hamilton, driving for Ferrari, finished fourth, while Mercedes teammate Russell secured eighth position. These results ensured the championship battle will continue to the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Antonelli currently holds a 123-point lead over Russell in the drivers’ standings. With 125 points still available across the final five rounds, Antonelli needs only two more points to secure his maiden title.
Max Verstappen experienced a challenging race despite starting on the front row. He reported an ‘undriveable’ car due to an engine braking issue during the event.
Red Bull also faced recurring radio communication problems throughout the 2026 season, which affected Verstappen’s race management. His pit stop on lap 31 incurred a small delay.
Verstappen, who started on C4 soft tyres, had a poor launch from the grid. This was attributed to a lack of energy deployment in the initial corners.
Leclerc eventually overtook Verstappen on lap 49 to claim second place. The late Virtual Safety Car period likely assisted Verstappen in retaining his podium position.
Hamilton, on a two-stop strategy, made his second pit stop on lap 39 for hard tyres. His late charge for a double Ferrari podium was curtailed by the Virtual Safety Car.
George Russell received a five-second time penalty early in the race. This was for leaving the track and gaining an advantage while battling Oscar Piastri on the opening lap.
A Virtual Safety Car was deployed with four laps remaining after Valtteri Bottas retired his Cadillac due to an engine problem. The VSC period concluded on lap 53 of 56.
The final points finishers for the 2026 United States Grand Prix were:
1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) 2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 4. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) 5. Lando Norris (McLaren) 6. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) 7. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) 8. George Russell (Mercedes) 9. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) 10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
Other retirements during the race included Franco Colapinto for Alpine and Oliver Bearman for Haas. Bearman also incurred a 10-second penalty for a collision with Gasly.
In the Constructors’ Championship, Mercedes leads with 607 points. Ferrari holds second place with 474 points, while Red Bull and McLaren are tied for third with 355 points each.
