Antonelli crowned Formula 1 World Champion at COTA: Maiden title secured in Austin

Historic coronation in the Texas heat

Kimi Antonelli etched his name into motorsport immortality on Sunday, 25 October, taking a commanding lights-to-flag victory at the United States Grand Prix to officially clinch the 2026 Formula 1 Drivers’ World Championship. Starting from pole position, the Italian teenager absorbed opening-lap pressure from Max Verstappen before executing a flawless two-stop strategy across 56 blisteringly hot laps at the Circuit of the Americas. Crossing the line 3.8 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, Antonelli triggered ecstatic celebrations on the Mercedes pit wall.

The mathematical title confirmation arrived when his only remaining championship rival, teammate George Russell, could only recover to eighth position after starting sixth. The resulting points swing pushed Antonelli to 365 points, establishing an insurmountable 123-point cushion with only 112 points remaining across the final four race weekends. Verstappen completed the podium in third place for Red Bull, followed by Lewis Hamilton in fourth and Lando Norris in fifth.

A new era dawns for Mercedes

Antonelli’s triumph marks the first drivers’ championship for Mercedes since 2020 and caps a breathtaking ascension for the youngster, who becomes the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history. Managing intense rear tyre degradation through COTA’s technical Sector 3, Antonelli never put a wheel wrong, preserving his pace even during a brief Virtual Safety Car period on lap 34.

With both the drivers’ crown secured and Mercedes leading Ferrari by 133 points in the constructors’ championship (607 to 474), the Formula 1 circus now heads south to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City. For Antonelli, the final month of the 2026 campaign becomes a historic victory lap, beginning as the newly minted ruler of the motorsport world.