Kimi Antonelli claimed his ninth victory of the 2026 Formula 1 season at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. The Mercedes driver started from pole position at the Circuit of the Americas on Sunday, October 25, extending his lead in the Drivers’ Championship.
Antonelli, aged 20, can become the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history at the upcoming Mexico City Grand Prix. He needs to finish ninth or higher next weekend to secure the title.
Charles Leclerc finished second for Ferrari, 13.078 seconds behind Antonelli. Max Verstappen secured the final podium position for Red Bull, 17.485 seconds adrift of the winner.
Leclerc demonstrated strong pace throughout the weekend, topping both Friday practice sessions. He also set the fastest lap of the race on lap 42 with a time of 1:37.976.
Verstappen, who qualified second, had a poor start which complicated his race. Despite car issues, he recovered to achieve his sixth consecutive podium finish.
Lewis Hamilton, driving for Ferrari, finished fourth after a strong recovery drive. Ferrari committed to a two-stop strategy for Hamilton, allowing him to gain positions.
Lando Norris secured fifth place for McLaren, recovering from eighth on the grid. His quickest Q3 lap was deleted due to track limits, impacting his starting position.
McLaren’s decision to keep Norris out on aging tyres late in the race proved costly. Oscar Piastri, his teammate, finished seventh after a subdued weekend.
Isack Hadjar placed sixth for Red Bull, having qualified a strong third. He ran well despite throttle mapping problems during the race.
George Russell finished eighth for Mercedes, receiving a five-second time penalty. This was for leaving the track and gaining an advantage in a battle with Piastri.
Liam Lawson delivered another consistent performance for Racing Bulls, converting ninth on the grid into ninth at the finish. Racing Bulls sacrificed a proper Q3 attempt to preserve tyres.
Pierre Gasly rounded out the points in tenth for Alpine. He fought his way back into the top ten after missing Q3.
Nico Hulkenberg finished 11th for Audi, just outside the points. His teammate Gabriel Bortoleto recovered to 13th after starting 22nd due to significant power unit penalties.
Bortoleto’s penalties included a fourth energy store and a fourth control electronics unit, each incurring a 10-place grid drop. Further component changes resulted in a total 20-place penalty.
Arvid Lindblad, also for Racing Bulls, finished 12th after a power unit penalty dropped him from ninth to 14th on the grid. He had taken a sixth internal combustion engine.
Esteban Ocon finished 14th for Haas, while Lance Stroll recovered to 15th for Aston Martin after starting from the pit lane. Stroll’s team made changes and fitted additional power unit components.
Fernando Alonso finished 16th for Aston Martin, behind Stroll. Contact with Alex Albon and a slow pit stop hindered his race.
Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz finished 17th and 18th for Williams, respectively. The circuit exposed the car’s weaknesses, and Sainz had a Q1 exit due to a late qualifying mistake.
Sergio Perez finished 19th for Cadillac, with Valtteri Bottas retiring late in the race due to a suspected power unit issue. Cadillac lacked competitive pace at their home event.
Bottas had qualified last, and his retirement triggered the final virtual safety car. Cadillac has faced ongoing struggles with pace and reliability in 2026.
Franco Colapinto retired for Alpine, having started effectively from the back due to a 10-place power unit penalty. Oliver Bearman also retired for Haas after contact, a penalty, and damage.
