AUSTIN: Kimi Antonelli moved closer to his first Formula One world championship on Sunday, winning the United States Grand Prix from pole position to extend his lead to 123 points with five races remaining.
The Mercedes driver controlled the race after a qualifying performance team principal Toto Wolff described as “a miracle lap”. He finished 13.078 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen third, 17.485 seconds behind.
“It was the result we needed,” Antonelli said.
One-stop strategy pays off
Antonelli held the lead at the start while the battle unfolded behind him. Leclerc briefly moved ahead of Verstappen into second, but the Red Bull driver reclaimed the position before the opening lap was over.
Lewis Hamilton also challenged his Ferrari teammate before settling into fourth.
Tyre strategy then shaped the contest. Antonelli made a single stop, switching from medium to hard tyres on lap 24, while Ferrari and McLaren opted for two stops.
The Mercedes driver regained the lead when Leclerc made his second stop and went on to secure a comfortable victory. McLaren’s Lando Norris finished fifth after struggling with tyre wear.
ALSO READ: Lando Norris seals F1 world title after tense Abu Dhabi finale
Isack Hadjar, Oscar Piastri, George Russell, Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly completed the top 10.
Russell received a five-second penalty after banging wheels with Piastri.
“I was on the inside, he was overtaking on the outside. That’s his risk,” Russell said.
Valtteri Bottas, Franco Colapinto and Ollie Bearman failed to finish. Bottas’s stoppage on track prompted a late Virtual Safety Car.
Championship within reach
Antonelli now has 365 points, ahead of Russell on 242, Hamilton on 241, Verstappen on 236 and Leclerc on 233.
He heads to next Sunday’s Mexico City Grand Prix with an opportunity to secure the championship. Mercedes also hold a commanding position in the constructors’ standings, leading Ferrari by 133 points.
Africa’s wait continues
As the championship approaches its conclusion, efforts to bring Formula One back to Africa remain a focus away from the track.
ALSO READ: Formula 1 returns to Africa as Rwanda lands 10-year Grand Prix deal
The continent has not hosted a grand prix since the 1993 South African race at Kyalami.
Reports this month suggest an agreement has been reached for Rwanda to host a race from 2030 at a planned permanent circuit near the proposed Bugesera International Airport, about 40km from Kigali.
President Paul Kagame announced Rwanda’s bid in 2024. Hamilton has repeatedly called for Formula One to return to Africa.
South African Sport Minister Gayton McKenzie congratulated Rwanda while maintaining that South Africa could secure an earlier return.
“They have worked on it longer than SA and deserve it,” he wrote. “SA will get F1, even before 2030.”
Cabinet has approved a bid for Kyalami to host a race from 2027. Separately, a privately funded consortium plans to build a circuit in the Western Cape’s Swartland region by 2031.
For both countries, the next step is turning those ambitions into a confirmed place on Formula One’s calendar.
