Kimi Antonelli can become the youngest ever Formula 1 world champion on Sunday if he wins the United States Grand Prix in Austin.
But there is still a chance for George Russell or Sir Lewis Hamilton to stage a remarkable comeback and prevent the Italian from lifting the trophy.
Russell began the season as the title favourite ahead of fellow Brit Hamilton but instead it is his Mercedes teammate who looks destined to triumph.
While others have floundered and struggled to adjust to the radical 2026 cars, Antonelli, in only his second season in F1, has thrived, winning eight races and building up a sizeable lead in the standings.
Even Russell has conceded it is a ‘matter of when, not if he clinches it’, with 20-year-old Antonelli’s first chance to be crowned champion coming at the Circuit of the Americas.
How can Kimi Antonelli win the F1 championship at the US Grand Prix?
With six races of the season remaining, Antonelli holds a 102 point lead over Russell, with Ferrari’s Hamilton a further nine points behind.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, the other Ferrari of Charles Leclerc and reigning champion Lando Norris of McLaren are all still mathematically in contention but their chances are fleeting.
Extending his lead by another 23 points would clinch the title for the young Italian but three things would need to happen to achieve that:
- Antonelli wins the race
- Russell finishes ninth or lower
- Hamilton finishes fifth or lower
This is possible, though it seems more likely Antonelli will get the job done at the Mexico City Grand Prix next week.
Youngest ever F1 champions
- Sebastian Vettel (2010) – 23 years, 134 days
- Lewis Hamilton (2008) – 23 years, 300 days
- Fernando Alonso (2005) – 24 years, 58 days
- Max Verstappen (2021) – 24 years, 73 days
- Emerson Fittipaldi (1972) – 25 years, 273 days
Kimi Antonelli will be 20 years and 61 days when he races in the United States Grand Prix
Regardless of whether he wins it on Sunday or at a later race, Antonelli will smash the record for the youngest F1 champion currently held by Sebastian Vettel who was 23 when he won the first of his four titles in 2010.
With 150 points still on offer over the remainder of the season, there is a chance one of the aforementioned drivers could still win the title but it would require a near-perfect run-in and Antonelli suffering an almighty collapse.
And there may not even be six races left as there are still doubts over whether the races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi will go ahead due to the conflicts in the Middle East.
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