Antonelli wins in Austin, extends F1 lead to 123 points

Kimi Antonelli won the United States Grand Prix in Austin on October 25, extending his Formula One championship lead to 123 points over Mercedes teammate George Russell with five races remaining. The 20-year-old led Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen across the finish line at the Circuit of The Americas, but the title remains undecided until the next race in Mexico City. Starting from pole position, Antonelli controlled the 56-lap race and finished 13.078 seconds ahead of Leclerc. Verstappen was third, a further 4.407 seconds behind. Antonelli took his ninth victory of the season after Mercedes committed to a one-stop strategy; he made his sole pit stop at the end of Lap 24 and regained the lead later in the race. Lewis Hamilton finished fourth and Russell eighth, keeping both drivers mathematically in contention. Antonelli leads Hamilton by 124 points, according to the reported standings, with a maximum of 125 points still available across the final five races. Verstappen, on 236 points to Antonelli’s 365, was reported mathematically eliminated from the title contest, with 125 points left to score. Antonelli’s next opportunity to secure the championship is the Mexico City...