Can Antonelli win the world championship in Mexico?

Kimi Antonelli fell 123 points behind teammate George Russell and 124 points behind Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton after winning the United States Grand Prix in Austin. Max Verstappen of Red Bull, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and McLaren's Lando Norris have officially been eliminated from the title race. In that case, the only drivers who could technically prevent Antonelli from winning are Russell and Hamilton.

However, this possibility is not realistic. Russell or Hamilton would need to win all of the remaining five races, while Antonelli fails to score even two points. The Mexico Grand Prix takes place this Sunday. It will be followed by the Brazil, Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi races, which together will award a total of 100 points.

Antonelli could clinch the championship in Mexico through one of several scenarios. Scoring two points, as he did in Austin, could be enough. If Russell finishes 23 points behind and Hamilton 24 points behind, that would also be sufficient for him. In that case, the young Italian would be recorded in history as the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history.

Mercedes also has the chance to win the Constructors' Championship in Mexico. The team leads Ferrari by 133 points, and 172 more points will be awarded after Sunday's race. To clinch the title in Mexico, Ferrari must finish 39 points behind Mercedes. This means either Antonelli or Russell wins the race while the other finishes second or third, and both Ferrari drivers have a poor race.

Mercedes' chance to truly secure the championship will most likely come at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix the following week. Finishing the race at Interlagos 129 points ahead of Ferrari would be enough, which is four points less than the current gap.