Antonelli says he is enjoying driving more as first F1 title beckons

With a chance to clinch his first Formula 1 title at the United States Grand Prix, Kimi Antonelli says he is enjoying driving more than usual. He took pole in Saturday qualifying, 0.179 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen.

Antonelli said the title possibility makes this weekend feel different, but his goal is unchanged: do his job, try to win and see what happens. His father, Marco, embraced him after pole. Antonelli said he had brought friends to Austin too; they play cards in the evenings, which helps him relax before he returns to full focus on track.

He can clinch the championship on Sunday if he wins, Mercedes team-mate George Russell finishes ninth or lower, and Lewis Hamilton finishes outside the top four. Hamilton starts fifth and Russell sixth.

A Sunday clinch remains the less likely outcome, the BBC's pre-race report says: Antonelli leads Russell by 102 points and Hamilton by 111. If he wins, he will be 20 years and 61 days old, becoming Formula 1's youngest world champion and breaking Sebastian Vettel's record by more than three years.