F1’s 2026 US Grand Prix centred around the potential coronation of the sport’s youngest-ever world champion, Kimi Antonelli. However, teammate George Russel and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton had to spoil the party by finishing exactly 1 position above the threshold that would have eliminated them.
This means the title celebrations will have to wait another weekend, until the Mexico City Grand Prix on 1 November. For now, here are the narratives around the exciting US Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas…
Antonelli wins, but celebrations must wait
The young Kimi Antonelli did everything he needed to do in just his 42nd F1 Grand Prix. His strong start and solid opening laps enabled a single-stop strategy. His closest rivals, on the other hand, had to resort to two-stop strategies, meaning that all he needed to do was manage his medium and hard tyres to finish 13 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
Whilst far from exciting, the young Italian driver showcased a champion’s drive before officially clinching his first championship.
Mercedes has the pace despite what Friday showed
Whilst many were looking forward to the potential coronation of a promising young driver, Friday’s performances indicated that Mercedes may not have had a race-winning car. However, as they have done time and again, their improvements to the car led to improved qualifying performances, with the addition of great race execution that truly turned the weekend around.
What seemed like a doubtful weekend turned into one about control and execution worthy of crowning a champion.
Russell survives, but for how much longer?
George Russell entered the weekend envious of his championship-bound teammate. He knew that he needed to beat his competition on the other side of the garage, or at the very least finish 8th.
However, his race got off to a tough start with a 5-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage over Oscar Piastri on the opening lap. From there, he was stuck and was left 54 seconds behind his teammate come the chequered flag.
George did what he needed to do to postpone title celebrations, but the moment may only last until Mexico City, being 123 points behind with only a max of 125 points left up for grabs.
Ferrari continues showing good pace
Charles Leclerc showcased Ferrari’s continued good pace and finished runner-up for the second weekend in a row. His quick pass on Max Verstappen, along with a strong two-stop strategy, produced great late-race pace, although it wasn’t nearly enough to contend for the victory.
For Hamilton, his fourth-place finish meant that, like George, he keeps his slim title hopes alive until next weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix.
Verstappen out of title contention
The four-time champion further showcased Red Bull’s increased pace and competitiveness with a podium finish, but Antonelli’s victory meant that he, along with Leclerc and Norris, is officially out of the title race. This also means that, for the first time since the 2020 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, Max Verstappen is officially knocked out of title contention before the last race - over 2,184 days ago.
This means that there will be no repeat of last season’s near-fairy-tale ending; the four-time champion will no longer be able to compete for F1’s biggest honour.
Mexico City becomes F1’s next history-making moment
Mexico City is familiar with crowning F1’s champions, with 4 drivers in history crowned in front of the Foro Sol crowd. However, this time could be the biggest crowning in its history, as Antonelli only needs to finish 9th regardless of who wins.
The questions after yesterday’s race have shifted from who to when, and with how he has performed this season, Mexico City seems like the destination where F1 crowns its youngest-ever champion.
For Antonelli, Austin’s results relied on where his nearest rivals finished; the next race in Mexico City can be determined by his own performance even if Hamilton or Russell win the race.
