Antonelli converts pole into a US GP win
Kimi Antonelli won the United States Grand Prix on 25 October 2026 ahead of Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen. The Mercedes driver completed 56 laps at Circuit of the Americas in 1:35:16.650. Leclerc crossed the line 13.078 seconds behind, with Verstappen 17.485 seconds adrift. Lewis Hamilton finished fourth. Victory adds 25 points to Antonelli’s total, but the result does not yet settle the drivers’ championship.
One stop delivers the victory
Antonelli followed a medium-tyre opening stint with hard tyres and won with a single stop while several rivals stopped twice. Leclerc recovered second place late in the race. Russell received a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage in his battle with Piastri. Bottas’s retirement triggered a Virtual Safety Car period towards the end of the Grand Prix.
2026 United States GP: the top ten
Norris finished fifth, ahead of Hadjar and Piastri. Russell, Lawson and Gasly took the remaining points-paying positions. Every driver in the top ten completed all 56 laps. Formula 1 still marks the results as provisional at the time of this article’s verification. The table follows that published order without assuming that all post-race procedures have been completed.
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time / gap | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:35:16.650 | 25 |
| 2 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +13.078 s | 18 |
| 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +17.485 s | 15 |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +18.515 s | 12 |
| 5 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +30.521 s | 10 |
| 6 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | +34.373 s | 8 |
| 7 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +52.674 s | 6 |
| 8 | George Russell | Mercedes | +54.303 s | 4 |
| 9 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +79.183 s | 2 |
| 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +87.516 s | 1 |
The remaining finishers and three retirements
Nico Hülkenberg was the first driver outside the points. The table below preserves the NC status of the unclassified drivers and the lap counts shown in the official results. DNF denotes a retirement rather than an invented finishing position. Drivers who finished one lap behind the winner have their deficit expressed in laps rather than an estimated time gap.
| Pos / status | Driver | Laps | Gap / status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Nico Hülkenberg | 56 | +94.945 s |
| 12 | Arvid Lindblad | 55 | +1 lap |
| 13 | Gabriel Bortoleto | 55 | +1 lap |
| 14 | Esteban Ocon | 55 | +1 lap |
| 15 | Lance Stroll | 55 | +1 lap |
| 16 | Fernando Alonso | 55 | +1 lap |
| 17 | Alexander Albon | 55 | +1 lap |
| 18 | Carlos Sainz | 55 | +1 lap |
| 19 | Sergio Pérez | 55 | +1 lap |
| NC | Valtteri Bottas | 48 | DNF |
| NC | Franco Colapinto | 35 | DNF |
| NC | Oliver Bearman | 24 | DNF |
Why Antonelli has not yet clinched the title
Formula 1’s published pre-race scenario required Antonelli to win, Russell to finish ninth or lower and Hamilton fifth or lower. Russell finished eighth and Hamilton fourth, so the required combination did not happen. The updated standings show Antonelli on 365 points, 123 ahead of Russell and 124 ahead of Hamilton. The gaps in the table are calculated by subtracting each driver’s total from the leader’s score.
| Pos | Driver | Points | Gap to leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimi Antonelli | 365 | — |
| 2 | George Russell | 242 | 123 |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | 241 | 124 |
| 4 | Max Verstappen | 236 | 129 |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc | 233 | 132 |
| 6 | Lando Norris | 211 | 154 |
Ferrari scores 30 points as Mercedes stays ahead
Second and fourth give Ferrari 30 points, compared with Mercedes’ 29. Calculating the teams’ race scores therefore shows Ferrari gaining only one point on the championship leader. F1’s published standings put Mercedes on 607 and Ferrari on 474, a gap of 133. Red Bull is listed third and McLaren fourth, both on 355 points. Having the same points total does not mean that the two teams share a position in the official order.
Next race: the Mexico City Grand Prix
The season continues in Mexico City on 30 October–1 November. The official calendar then lists Brazil, Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi. Austin strengthens Antonelli’s lead while making each remaining event more significant for his pursuers. The result in Texas needs to be read alongside the updated championship scores: winning a Grand Prix and securing an unassailable championship lead are separate milestones, even when one driver arrives at the weekend with a substantial advantage.
