Antonelli two points away from the title

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli won the US Grand Prix on Sunday, his ninth victory of this season. The 20-year-old Italian gained a major advantage in the championship fight with this win.

If Antonelli scores two points at next week's Mexico Grand Prix, he will become the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history. That record is currently held by Sebastian Vettel, who won his first title in 2010 at the age of 23 years and 133 days. Antonelli is also on course to become the first Italian to win the title since 1953.

The young driver said he wants to finish the season strongly. Antonelli said he is focused on the race rather than the championship arithmetic, and expressed hope that a good finish to the season will set him up well for 2027.

In the standings, Antonelli leads with 365 points. His teammate George Russell is second on 242 points, and Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time champion now driving for Ferrari, is third on 241 points. Antonelli will be crowned champion if he scores at least a ninth-place finish. If he fails to score, Russell or Hamilton must not win the race.

Antonelli stressed that the win was also important for the team. He said he trusted the strategy team's decision to do a single pit stop, and said being back at the top after several difficult races made him very happy.