Antonelli wins F1 United States GP with one-stop strategy as Russell delays title celebrations

News Summary

• Andrea Kimi Antonelli won the 2026 United States Grand Prix with a one-stop strategy, converting pole position into victory ahead of Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen.
• George Russell finished eighth and Lewis Hamilton fourth, preventing Antonelli from securing the Formula 1 World Championship despite his ninth victory of the season.
• Ferrari secured second and fourth with Leclerc and Hamilton, while Gabriel Bortoleto recovered from 21st to finish 12th for Audi. Liam Lawson claimed ninth and Pierre Gasly completed the points-paying positions.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli won the 2026 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix on Sunday (October 25) after executing a successful one-stop strategy at Circuit of The Americas, but the Mercedes driver will have to wait at least another week to celebrate his first World Championship. George Russell finished eighth and Lewis Hamilton fourth, keeping their mathematical title hopes alive despite another commanding performance from the Italian.

Antonelli started from pole position, controlled the opening stages and took advantage of superior tyre performance to defeat Charles Leclerc, who finished second for Ferrari. Max Verstappen completed the podium for Red Bull, while Hamilton claimed fourth after overtaking Lando Norris in the closing stages. Norris finished fifth, followed by Isack Hadjar, Oscar Piastri, Russell, Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly.

Antonelli makes perfect start as Verstappen loses ground to Ferrari

The opening moments of the United States Grand Prix provided the first indication that Mercedes had made the right strategic decision. While most of the field started on soft tyres, Antonelli lined up on mediums, joining Russell, Norris and Piastri among those choosing the C3 compound.

The choice appeared risky given the importance of traction during the opening acceleration phase, particularly with Verstappen alongside Antonelli on the front row and the two Ferraris immediately behind.

However, Antonelli made a considerably better start than Verstappen, retaining the lead into Turn 1 despite running the theoretically less aggressive compound. The Red Bull driver struggled with traction and came under immediate pressure from Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.

Leclerc capitalised on Verstappen’s difficult getaway and moved into second through the high-speed opening sector, while Hamilton also attempted to challenge the Dutchman.

Verstappen responded on lap two, reclaiming second place with an aggressive move at Turn 16, but the early battle had already allowed Antonelli to establish a useful advantage.

By the end of the second lap, the Mercedes driver had opened a gap of approximately 2 seconds, giving him the freedom to manage his tyres without immediately defending against his closest rivals.

The result was particularly significant given Antonelli’s surprise pole position on Saturday, when the Italian had overcome Mercedes’ difficulties with balance and tyre overheating to defeat Verstappen by 0.179 seconds.

While qualifying had demonstrated the W17’s single-lap potential, the race would ultimately reveal another advantage: its ability to maintain competitive pace over a long stint on harder compounds.

Russell receives five-second penalty as championship hopes hang in the balance

Behind the leaders, Russell became involved in an early incident with Piastri, running wide and gaining an advantage during the opening exchanges.

The stewards investigated the incident and subsequently handed the Mercedes driver a five-second time penalty, a setback that threatened his opportunity to finish high enough to keep the championship alive.

Russell had started sixth and initially remained close to Hadjar, but the penalty complicated his strategy and forced Mercedes to account for the additional five seconds during his scheduled pit stop.

On lap ten, the British driver was effectively facing the prospect of dropping to eighth once the penalty was served.

That position had enormous championship significance.

Before the race, Antonelli needed victory, Russell ninth or lower and Hamilton fifth or lower to secure the World Championship.

Russell’s eighth place would therefore be sufficient to prevent the Italian from mathematically clinching the title.

Mercedes eventually called Russell into the pits on lap 23. The British driver served his five-second penalty before switching to hard tyres, returning to the track in tenth.

Despite the setback, Russell recovered into the points and ultimately finished eighth, earning 4 points and keeping his championship deficit to Antonelli at 123 points.

With five Grands Prix remaining and a maximum of 125 points still available, the title therefore remains mathematically undecided.

Mercedes’ one-stop strategy defeats Red Bull’s aggressive tyre plan

The strategic contest between Mercedes and Red Bull had been one of the main talking points before the race.

Verstappen’s team had preserved fresh soft tyres during the weekend, preparing an aggressive strategy involving two pit stops. Red Bull expected the C4 compound to provide enough performance to challenge Mercedes, particularly if Verstappen could make an early move into the lead.

But the race developed differently.

Verstappen stopped for the first time on lap 14, earlier than Pirelli’s initial projected window for the soft compound. The Dutchman returned behind Piastri and subsequently made progress through the field, but the stop committed him to another tyre change later in the race.

Ferrari also adopted an aggressive approach. Hamilton stopped on lap 15, with Leclerc following one lap later, both switching from softs to mediums.

Mercedes, meanwhile, extended Antonelli’s opening stint on mediums.

With Verstappen and the Ferraris having already stopped, Antonelli continued setting competitive lap times while controlling the gap to the leading drivers on different strategies.

The Italian eventually made his only stop on lap 25, switching to hard tyres for the remainder of the 56-lap contest.

It proved to be the decisive move.

The hard compound delivered stronger performance than expected, allowing Antonelli to maintain consistent lap times while Verstappen struggled with degrading soft tyres and the need to make another stop.

Within two laps of Antonelli’s pit stop, the Mercedes driver was approximately 1 second per lap faster than Verstappen, substantially reducing the time difference created by the alternative strategies.

As GRANDE PRÊMIO’s pre-race analysis had anticipated, tyre management was likely to prove decisive in the battle between Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari.

Ultimately, Mercedes’ medium-to-hard approach provided the most effective combination of track position, pace and tyre durability.

Verstappen struggles with Red Bull problems and loses second to Leclerc

Verstappen’s race became increasingly complicated by technical difficulties that affected his ability to extract consistent performance from the Red Bull.

The Dutchman complained about gearbox behaviour during the opening stages and subsequently reported difficulties involving engine braking and communication with race engineer Tom Hart.

Although the car remained competitive, the problems contributed to a demanding afternoon in which Verstappen was unable to reproduce the race-winning performance Red Bull had demonstrated during the preceding rounds in Malaysia and Singapore.

The team called the four-time World Champion into the pits for his second stop on lap 32, switching to medium tyres for the final stint.

However, the stop was delayed by a problem with the right-front wheel, leaving the Red Bull stationary for approximately 3.9 seconds.

Verstappen returned in fifth, around 18 seconds behind Antonelli, effectively ending his realistic opportunity to challenge for victory without an intervention from the safety car.

The Dutchman still had enough pace to recover positions, but Ferrari’s strategy and tyre management created another obstacle.

Leclerc made his second stop later than Verstappen and switched to hard tyres, giving the Ferrari driver a stronger opportunity to attack during the closing laps.

The Monegasque gradually reduced the deficit and eventually overtook Verstappen on lap 49, securing second place and completing a strong recovery after Ferrari’s disappointing qualifying session.

The result was an important response from the Italian manufacturer, which had dominated all three free-practice sessions at Austin but failed to convert that performance into pole position.

Verstappen ultimately finished third, unable to defend second place against Leclerc’s superior late-race pace.

Hamilton overtakes Norris to finish fourth and keep F1 title hopes alive

Ferrari’s strong race performance was not limited to Leclerc.

Hamilton started fifth and remained among the leading contenders throughout the race, although the team’s early pit-stop strategy required the seven-time World Champion to complete a second stop.

Ferrari called Hamilton in again on lap 39, switching him to hard tyres for the final stint.

The decision gave the British driver a tyre advantage over Norris, whose McLaren was struggling with degradation after adopting a more conservative strategy.

Hamilton gradually closed the gap and eventually overtook Norris on lap 51, moving into fourth place.

The pass was significant not only for Ferrari’s result but also for the championship.

While Russell’s eighth place was already preventing Antonelli from securing the title, Hamilton needed to finish fourth or higher to retain his own mathematical chances.

Hamilton achieved precisely that, adding 12 points to his championship total and taking his score to 241.

Norris, meanwhile, finished fifth after struggling to defend against the Ferrari on worn tyres.

The result represents another missed opportunity for McLaren, which entered the weekend behind Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari on outright qualifying pace.

Piastri finished seventh, meaning the team collected 16 points across its two cars but failed to challenge for a podium.

For Ferrari, second and fourth marked a strong recovery from Saturday’s disappointment and reinforced the competitive potential that had been evident throughout the weekend.

Lawson scores again as Bortoleto recovers from the back of the grid

The midfield contest produced several important performances, particularly from Lawson and Bortoleto.

Lawson finished ninth for Racing Bulls, collecting another 2 points after a weekend in which the New Zealander had shown promising pace.

The result came after Racing Bulls made the unusual decision to prevent Lawson from completing a lap in Q3, preserving fresh tyres for the race instead.

As Lawson explained after qualifying, the team considered the additional tyre sets more valuable for Sunday’s race than a possible improvement in his starting position.

The New Zealander started ninth following teammate Arvid Lindblad’s five-place grid penalty and maintained a position inside the points.

Gasly completed the top ten for Alpine, earning the final championship point.

Further back, Bortoleto recovered from 21st on the starting grid to finish 12th, immediately behind Audi teammate Nico Hülkenberg.

The Brazilian had received an accumulated 80-place grid penalty following several power-unit component changes during the weekend, initially relegating him to last place.

However, Lance Stroll’s subsequent pit-lane penalty changed the final starting order, promoting Bortoleto to 21st before the race began.

The Audi driver made steady progress through the field, moving past several competitors during the opening laps and eventually finishing just outside the points.

The result demonstrated the Brazilian’s ability to recover positions despite the substantial handicap imposed by the team’s power-unit changes.

F1 2026 United States Grand Prix — Race results

Antonelli claimed victory ahead of Leclerc and Verstappen, while Hamilton and Norris completed the top five.

United States Grand Prix — Confirmed top ten

Additional confirmed finishers: Nico Hülkenberg finished 11th and Gabriel Bortoleto 12th for Audi.

The table reflects the reported finishing order. Classification times, retirement statuses and positions from 13th onwards should be added once the complete FIA race classification is available.

Antonelli extends championship lead but must wait until Mexico

Despite another victory, Antonelli was unable to secure the World Championship in Austin.

The Italian began the weekend with 340 points, 102 ahead of Russell and 111 clear of Hamilton.

His ninth victory of the season increases his championship total to 365 points, while Russell reaches 242 after finishing eighth.

That leaves a difference of 123 points, with five Grands Prix and 125 points still available.

Hamilton remains mathematically in contention after finishing fourth, taking his total to 241 and remaining 124 behind Antonelli.

F1 2026 championship standings after United States GP

Standings calculated from the pre-race championship totals and the reported United States Grand Prix results, pending publication of the official post-race classification.

Antonelli therefore leaves Austin with a substantial advantage, although Russell and Hamilton remain close enough mathematically to prevent the title from being awarded.

Verstappen and Leclerc, meanwhile, are eliminated from championship contention because they now trail Antonelli by more than the 125 points still available.

The next opportunity for Antonelli to secure the championship will come at the Mexican Grand Prix on November 1, where the points threshold will fall to 100 with four races remaining afterwards.

F1 heads to Mexico City after Austin

Formula 1 returns next weekend for the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix, scheduled for Sunday, November 1, at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

The race will be particularly important for Antonelli because his advantage means he will arrive in Mexico with an opportunity to secure the championship regardless of the results achieved by Russell and Hamilton, provided he outscores them sufficiently.

The remaining calendar includes Mexico City, São Paulo, Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, with the championship scheduled to conclude on December 6.

The victory in Austin also reinforces Mercedes’ strong second half of the season, while Ferrari’s double top-four result and Red Bull’s recent competitiveness suggest the fight for race victories will remain intense even as Antonelli approaches the championship.

GRANDE PRÊMIO is following every development from the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas, with race results, championship updates, analysis and full coverage in its Formula 1 section.