WHAT THE TEAMS SAID – RACE DAY IN THE UNITED STATES

Kimi Antonelli dominated the United States Grand Prix from pole, converting a shaky Friday into a commanding win that puts him on the brink of sealing the championship in Mexico City. The Mercedes driver nailed the start on mediums, stretched an early gap over Verstappen, and held his nerve when rivals went two-stop. His one-stop gamble paid off as the hard tyres came alive late, and he cruised home with margin to spare.

Charles Leclerc salvaged second for Ferrari after a late-race charge on fresh rubber, hunting down and passing Verstappen in the closing laps. Lewis Hamilton took fourth in the sister Ferrari, closing on the Dutchman before a late VSC froze the fight and left him one second off the podium.

George Russell's race unraveled early with a track-limits penalty that dropped him behind Piastri, and he never had the pace to recover, finishing a distant eighth while his teammate controlled the front.

Antonelli's championship math is now simple: a decent result in Mexico locks it up.