Kimi Antonelli delivered Mercedes a statement victory in Austin despite the Silver Arrows spending Friday hopelessly lost in the weeds of their upgraded 2026-spec package. The Italian came through when it mattered most — a stunning qualifying lap for pole position, then a commanding lights-to-flag drive at Circuit of The Americas that moved him to the brink of his first world championship title.
Mercedes looked nowhere near pole pace in practice sessions as they wrestled with the setup window on the new aero. Antonelli made all of it irrelevant on Saturday and Sunday. The dominant win at the third American round of the calendar year keeps the championship within reach heading into Mexico City this weekend, where Antonelli could clinch the crown with a round to spare if results break his way.
Read the full story at formula1.com
