Antonelli wins in US but has to wait to secure title

Kimi Antonelli secured a dominant victory in the United States Grand Prix, narrowly missing out on his first world title. Leading Mercedes teammate George Russell by 123 points, Antonelli finished ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. To claim the championship, Antonelli must not lose more than 23 points to Russell and 24 points to Hamilton.

A ninth-place finish would suffice if Russell wins, and a 10th-place finish would be enough if Hamilton wins. If neither of them wins, Antonelli will be crowned champion regardless of his finishing position. Antonelli's performance exemplified his season-long dominance, with a flawless one-stop race strategy. Despite initial competition from Leclerc and Verstappen for second place, Antonelli maintained a two-second gap by the end of the race.

The Mercedes upgrade package, introduced two races prior in Malaysia, proved crucial, as it outperformed the previous specification. Antonelli expressed satisfaction with the result and the team's perseverance in refining the package. While Russell started sixth and faced a five-second penalty for leaving the track, Hamilton's fourth-place finish kept the duo's championship hopes alive.

Leclerc and Verstappen, initially closely matched, eventually settled into their respective positions, with Verstappen claiming second place. The race also saw McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri secure seventh and eighth places, respectively.