Kimi Antonelli looks forward to drivers’ title after victory in US Grand Prix

F1 champion-elect: ‘Hopefully we can clinch it soon’

Italian two points from title but Verstappen unhappy

Kimi Antonelli has acknowledged the Formula One world championship is within his grasp after the Italian took a dominant victory at the US Grand Prix which has put him just two points away from clinching his first title at the Mexican Grand Prix next weekend.

Antonelli beat the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc into second place and the Red Bull of Max Verstappen into third. With his title rivals George Russell and Lewis Hamilton finishing eighth and fourth respectively, Antonelli will take the title if he finishes ninth or better in Mexico City.

The 20-year-old, who stands to become Formula 1’s youngest champion, was jubilant as he crossed the line at the Circuit of the Americas. “Yeah! That’s how we do it,” he exclaimed to his engineer Peter Bonnington.

“Another small step,” the Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, told Antonelli over the radio after the victory. “Another small step.”

With Mercedes having worked hard to iron out issues with their recent upgrades to the car, the victory was important to the team, who pulled off a coup in opting for a one-stop strategy which paid off handsomely for their world champion-elect driver. Antonelli paid tribute to his team.

“We’re very close [to the title], hopefully we can clinch it soon,” he said. “It was a result we needed, to be fair, the whole team deserved it all this time – working to bring this new package and finally seeing the result is very pleasant. It was a perfect execution of strategy to call the one stop. Today was a great team effort.”

This view was echoed by the Mercedes deputy team principal, Bradley Lord. “It felt like everyone was getting a bit excited but all Kimi could do today is go out and win,” he said. “Amazing job by everyone on the pit wall and the strategists back at base. What a drive, what a win.”

However Verstappen, whose Red Bull team opted for a two-stop strategy, was far from enamoured with his afternoon and a car that was suffering from problems. “Yeah, that was terrible,” he said. “The pace, the wrong tyre, shit pit stop, shit engine braking. Nothing worked.”