AUSTIN LOWDOWN
AUSTIN LOWDOWN: All the key moments as Antonelli dominates to edge towards title.
The Circuit of The Americas put on another show as Kimi Antonelli beat Charles Leclerc to bring the Drivers' Championship within touching distance.
The United States Grand Prix delivered another spectacular event that saw one of Kimi Antonelli's most dominant performances yet, with the Italian beating Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen to come tantalisingly close to his maiden title.
Plenty of other talking points emerged across the three days of action, from Red Bull's strategic and technical woes to George Russell's frustrating lack of pace relative to his team mate.
Antonelli on the brink of the championship
Antonelli came into the weekend with his first chance of clinching a maiden world title and becoming the youngest ever F1 champion in the process. As it turned out, he was only two positions from doing just that on a weekend where he shone.
For the stars to align in Austin, the Italian needed to win Sunday’s race while also requiring Mercedes team mate Russell to finish ninth or lower, and for Lewis Hamilton to finish fifth or lower. Russell was eighth and Hamilton took fourth.
But Antonelli more than held up his end of the bargain as the young Italian came out on top in Qualifying and an excellent launch at lights out set him on his way to a dominant race victory – via a one-stop strategy that very much worked out for Mercedes. He now stands on the brink of title glory, needing only two points to seal the deal next weekend in Mexico City.
Leclerc seals another podium
Ferrari went into the weekend surrounded by plenty of promise, helped in part by upgrades they were introducing. A practice clean sweep for the Scuderia – two for Leclerc and one for Hamilton – also helped boost the expectation.
Their rivals went on to lift their game over the weekend but – come race day – Ferrari mostly nailed things on the track as Leclerc lifted himself from a P4 starting position to Second Place. That’s his second consecutive runner-up position.