Kimi Antonelli wins the US GP and extends his championship lead

Kimi Antonelli won the US GP with Mercedes, extending his lead in the Formula 1 world championship. At 19, he stood on the top step of the podium after a weekend that had looked difficult for his team.

After Friday practice at the Circuit of The Americas, telemetry pointed to a potentially pointless weekend for Mercedes. The car lacked pace, its drivers were unhappy with the balance, and the latest aerodynamic changes appeared to be a misstep. Antonelli’s Sunday victory was a sharp contrast to those signs.

The narrow set-up window also meant very different races for the two Mercedes drivers. The team, however, carried out its plan under pressure, according to the race account. A one-stop strategy and solid pit stops helped deliver the win, Shovlin said. “The strategy decisions weren’t clear-cut, but we held our nerve and made the right call to stick with the one-stop,” he said.

The Mercedes representative acknowledged how unlikely victory had seemed after Friday: “After Friday, a race victory simply didn’t look achievable given our single-lap and long-run pace.” Shovlin also praised Antonelli’s performance: “What he produced in qualifying and the race today was exceptional.”

George’s race was more difficult. A penalty for going off track on the opening lap did not help, and after a strong start to his second stint he could not get past Piastri, Shovlin said. At McLaren, Lando Norris complained over the radio that his team-mate was holding him up. The team asked Oscar Piastri to let Norris through, and he did so at Turn 1 on lap eight.

Andrea Stella said McLaren believed Norris had been quicker over the weekend and wanted to give him an opportunity to attack the cars ahead. He also described the circuit as one where Norris adapts better to changing conditions, while Piastri is challenged when each lap is different. Stella said the decision showed the team was putting its collective interests first, while reiterating the aim of returning McLaren to the front.

After 18 of 23 rounds of the 2026 championship, Antonelli has 365 points and nine wins, 123 clear of second-placed George Russell on 242. Mercedes leads the constructors’ standings with 607 points, ahead of Ferrari on 474. Five rounds remain, leaving Antonelli’s US GP success to strengthen his position as the season continues.