Im sechstletzten Rennen der Saison: So wird Antonelli bereits in Austin Weltmeister

Kimi Antonelli secured his ninth victory of the season at the United States Grand Prix in Austin on Sunday, yet the Italian driver will have to wait until next week to claim the World Championship title. The 20-year-old Mercedes pilot won the race comfortably from pole position, finishing 13 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. However, because his rivals collected enough points to keep their mathematical hopes alive, the championship decision has been postponed to the Mexican Grand Prix. Antonelli dominated the contest at the Circuit of the Americas, maintaining control throughout the 56-lap race. He started from the front row after setting the fastest time in qualifying, a performance he attributed to solving persistent issues with overheating tires. The Italian held off challenges from the field, managing his tire wear effectively while his competitors adopted more aggressive strategies. By the end of the first lap, four-time world champion Max Verstappen was already 2.5 seconds behind Antonelli. The gap widened as the race progressed, with Antonelli executing a flawless one-stop strategy. The battle for second and third places provided the primary entertainment during the final stages of the race. In the 47th lap, a three-way fight erupted involving Lando Norris, Verstappen, and Leclerc. Verstappen initially moved into second place, overtaking both Norris and Leclerc. However, Leclerc responded quickly, passing Norris and then Verstappen two laps later to secure the runner-up spot. Verstappen settled for third, while Norris dropped back to fifth. This sequence of events meant that neither Verstappen nor Norris could prevent Antonelli from winning, but it did allow other drivers to score crucial championship points. The outcome of the race left the title mathematically undecided due to the results of Antonelli’s main challengers. For Antonelli to clinch the crown in Austin, he needed to win while his team-mate George Russell finished ninth or lower, and Lewis Hamilton finished fifth or lower. Instead, Russell crossed the line in eighth place, and Hamilton, driving for Ferrari, took fourth. These results allowed both drivers to close the gap slightly, though Antonelli retains a massive lead. With five races remaining in the season, a maximum of 125 points can still be scored. Antonelli currently holds 365 points, giving him a 123-point advantage over Russell. Hamilton sits in third place, 124 points behind the leader. In the constructors' standings, Mercedes leads with 607 points, well ahead of Ferrari on 474 and Red Bull. The podium finish for Leclerc helped Ferrari maintain its position in the manufacturers' table, while Red Bull struggled to challenge for the top spots. The Audi team had a difficult day in Texas, failing to score any points. Nico Hülkenberg lost several positions early in the race and finished 11th, while Gabriel Bortoleto, who started from the back of the grid, ended the race in 13th place. Valtteri Bottas triggered a virtual safety car procedure just a few laps before the checkered flag, but this late intervention did not alter the final classification. The incident added little to the narrative of a race that was otherwise controlled by Antonelli from the outset. The Italian driver listened to the national anthem and celebrated his victory, acknowledging that the team deserved the result after weeks of hard work implementing new updates. Antonelli stated that the team had executed a perfect strategy and that he made no errors during the race. He expressed hope that the title would be confirmed soon, noting how close the team is to achieving the goal. Leclerc described the race as positive despite missing victory, citing good pace and enjoyable battles. Verstappen blamed his third-place finish on insufficient rhythm and incorrect tire choices available to him during the stint. The next opportunity for Antonelli to become the youngest Formula One world champion in history comes next weekend in Mexico City. At 20 years old and two months, he would surpass the record held by Sebastian Vettel, who was 23 years and 134 days old when he won the title in 2010. To secure the championship in Mexico, Antonelli needs to finish no lower than ninth place, regardless of the results of his rivals. The calendar continues with a triple-header of events, following the US Grand Prix with races in Mexico and then Brazil on November 8. Uncertainty surrounds the final two races of the season in Qatar and Abu Dhabi due to ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran. Organizers are considering a replacement race in Imola should the Middle Eastern events be cancelled. If the calendar is shortened, Antonelli’s required margin for early coronation would decrease, potentially allowing him to clinch the title even earlier. For now, however, the focus shifts to Mexico, where the 20-year-old aims to complete his historic campaign.