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Driver on verge of claiming championship in Mexico ‘The drive was exceptional. He outperformed the car’ The Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, has paid tribute to his driver Kimi Antonelli, who all but closed out his first Formula One world championship with a victory at the US Grand Prix that Wolff described as the Italian’s best race yet. After the win at the Circuit of the Americas Wolff was also at pains to point out the considerable efforts made by a host of others in bringing the young Italian to having one hand on a record-breaking title. Continue reading...

F1 champion-elect: ‘Hopefully we can clinch it soon’ Italian two points from title but Verstappen unhappy Kimi Antonelli has acknowledged the Formula One world championship is within his grasp after the Italian took a dominant victory at the US Grand Prix which has put him just two points away from clinching his first title at the Mexican Grand Prix next weekend. Antonelli beat the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc into second place and the Red Bull of Max Verstappen into third. With his title rivals George Russell and Lewis Hamilton finishing eighth and fourth respectively, Antonelli will take the title if he finishes ninth or better in Mexico City. Continue reading...

Championship leader wins from Leclerc and Verstappen 20-year-old should win title in next race in Mexico With a calm assurance that belies his tender years, Kimi Antonelli delivered another masterclass at the US Grand Prix, ensuring that while he could not quite seal the Formula One world championship in the Texas sunshine, it is a coronation that is surely only delayed for a week. The 20-year-old has made it almost a formality that he will seal the deal at the next round in Mexico. Antonelli’s dominant victory in Austin at the Circuit of the Americas, with a controlled and composed drive to beat the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc into second place and the Red Bull of Max Verstappen into third, was described by the Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff as “one small step” towards the title in what has been a season of giant leaps for the Italian. Continue reading...

️ Updates from Austin; race start 3pm CDT/8pm GMT ️ Antonelli seizes US GP pole | Mail Tom with your thoughts Grid change. Lance Stroll will now start from the pit after setup changes. Just a reminder what Kimi needs to do to become the youngest world champion of all time today. He’ll clinch the title if he wins and George Russell finishes outside the top eight, with Lewis Hamilton outside the top four. Continue reading...

Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes took pole position at the United States Grand Prix, where he could wrap up his maiden F1 world championship. Here's the full starting grid with penalties applied.

With first drivers’ title all but secure, a friendlier champion would be hard to find, but Italian’s eight wins this season speak to his focus Even as Kimi Antonelli may be world champion-elect, it is sometimes hard to equate the young man who has driven with such exceptional skill and no little verve to touching distance of an historic first Formula One title with the smiling, wide-eyed kid with tousled hair who still almost looks out of place in the F1 paddock. Yet what has become clear in this extraordinary season is that Antonelli’s talent and his personable, endearing character are inextricably entwined. Whether the Italian seals his place as F1’s youngest world champion, at 20 years old, at this Sunday’s US Grand Prix in Austin or the next round in Mexico or even beyond that is moot – that he will do so is all but assured and for all that he is still in only his second season in the sport, a more rounded, well-liked champion than the Mercedes driver would be hard to find. Continue reading...

Mercedes youngster could become youngest title winner Max Verstappen says bumpy track makes drivers ‘suffer’ The Formula One world championship is within reach for Kimi Antonelli at the US Grand Prix in Austin this weekend. But while the young Italian approaches the race intending simply to have fun, there is disquiet among other drivers about the potential long-term health dangers posed by the state of the Texas circuit. The 20-year-old Antonelli will become Formula One’s youngest world champion if he claims the title at the Circuit of the Americas on Sunday, eclipsing Sebastian Vettel’s record from 2010, when the German driver was 23 and Antonelli was four. Continue reading...

Young driver’s maiden championship is all but secured but Mercedes upgrades will inform next year’s run to the line There is nothing quite like a potential title decider to bring the fiercest of spotlights to bear as doubtless Kimi Antonelli will discover when he attempts to seal his first championship at the United States Grand Prix this weekend. For the young Italian the goal is straightforward and the culmination of a childhood dream. However, for his Mercedes team there will be scrutiny over performance in Austin that has significant implications going into next season. Continue reading...