Antonelli wins United States Grand Prix to claim ninth victory of the season

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli won the United States Grand Prix in Austin, securing his ninth victory of the season. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) finished second, while Max Verstappen (Red Bull) completed the podium.

For the first time since 2022, the Austin race weekend took place without a Sprint. Championship leader Antonelli secured pole position in qualifying, with Verstappen joining him on the front row. Isack Hadjar and Leclerc lined up on the second row.

Antonelli retained the lead at the start, while Leclerc overtook Verstappen to move into second place. However, the Red Bull driver reclaimed the position before the end of the opening lap. Lewis Hamilton also made a strong start, passing Hadjar.

The battle for the lead intensified after the first round of pit stops. Verstappen, who stopped earlier than his main rivals, moved into the lead, with Leclerc taking second place. Antonelli rejoined the race in third after his stop.

On lap 32, Verstappen made his second pit stop but lost valuable time due to a delay during a wheel change. Leclerc briefly took the lead, only for Antonelli to overtake the Ferrari driver and reclaim first place.

The closing stages saw an intense battle for the podium positions. On lap 47, Verstappen and Leclerc passed Lando Norris in quick succession to move into second and third. Two laps later, Leclerc overtook Verstappen to take second place. Meanwhile, Hamilton passed Norris to move into fourth.

With just a few laps remaining, a Virtual Safety Car was deployed after Valtteri Bottas stopped on track. The order at the front remained unchanged when racing resumed.

Antonelli maintained his lead to take his ninth victory of the season. Leclerc finished second, with Verstappen completing the podium. Hamilton took fourth place, ahead of Norris in fifth.

The Formula 1 World Championship continues next week with the Mexico City Grand Prix, where Kimi Antonelli could secure the world title with races to spare.