Antonelli moves closer to F1 title after Austin win as Red Bull face problems

Kimi Antonelli converted pole into a comfortable victory at the United States Grand Prix, moving within reach of his first Formula 1 title. He leads Mercedes teammate George Russell by 123 points and Lewis Hamilton by 124, with 125 still available; Russell finished eighth in Austin and Hamilton fourth. Antonelli is expected to clinch the championship in Mexico City. If he does, he would beat Sebastian Vettel’s record as F1’s youngest champion by more than three years.

Charles Leclerc delivered the race’s standout early move. Starting fourth, he passed Max Verstappen through the Esses on lap one and briefly moved into second. Leclerc finished runner-up to Antonelli and set the fastest lap at 1:37.976.

Red Bull came to Austin on the back of Verstappen’s victories in Malaysia and Singapore, but could not make it three in a row. A sluggish start left him unable to challenge Antonelli: he finished third, with Isack Hadjar sixth. Both drivers complained about multiple issues with their RB22s, and each had recurring radio problems during the race. Hadjar said his clutch needed a redesign, leaving Red Bull with plenty to investigate.