Kimi Antonelli just stomped the field at the United States Grand Prix, snagging his ninth win out of 18 races this season, but unbelievable as it sounds, he still hasn’t clinched his first world title. The 20-year-old Italian dominated the race, coming in ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, and now leads his Mercedes teammate George Russell by a massive 123 points. Yet, despite that huge lead and a truly stellar victory, the champagne corks on the championship will have to stay put for another week.
Total Dominance, Still No Crown
Seriously, this kid is unreal. Antonelli didn’t just win; he absolutely stamped his authority on the US Grand Prix. We’re talking out of touch by the *first corner*. That’s how good he was. This win in Austin was his ninth victory this season, his first since the Spanish Grand Prix last month, and honestly, the source says it best: the key stories of the race were “Antonelli’s sublime victory” and a “race-long squabble between Leclerc and Verstappen for second place.” That’s it. Little else, folks. When the battle for second is the only other thing worth mentioning, you know who owned the track. He’s been the class of the field, no question. So, you’d think the title would be a lock, right? Not so fast.
What It Takes in Mexico City
Even with that monster 123-point lead over Russell, Antonelli has to wait one more weekend. He’ll be crowned champion in Mexico City next Sunday as long as he doesn’t lose more than 23 points to Russell or 24 points to Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. What does that actually mean? Well, if Russell manages to win the race, Antonelli just needs to finish ninth or better to secure the title. If Hamilton wins, a tenth-place finish will do it. And the sweetest part? If neither Russell nor Hamilton wins the Mexico City Grand Prix, then Antonelli is our champion next Sunday, no matter where he finishes on the day.
So, get ready, F1 fans! It’s all coming down to Mexico City next weekend for Kimi Antonelli’s first world title. After a season of absolute authority, especially a performance like we saw in the US, you know he’s going to be gunning to wrap this up!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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