Antonelli needs ninth place in Mexico City to clinch his first F1 world title

The title on the line

Kimi Antonelli, a 20-year-old Mercedes driver from Italy, leads the drivers' standings with 365 points after winning the United States Grand Prix in Austin. George Russell is second on 242 points and Lewis Hamilton third on 241, which leaves Antonelli 123 points ahead of Russell and 124 ahead of Hamilton with 125 points still available. The Mexico City Grand Prix, the 19th round of the season, takes place on Sunday, 1 November, at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. A ninth-place finish or better would make Antonelli champion, and at 20 he would become the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history. According to AP, an Italian title would end a 73-year wait for an Italian driver, counting back to Alberto Ascari's second championship in 1953.

Kimi Antonelli365

George Russell242

Lewis Hamilton241

Max Verstappen236

Charles Leclerc233

Kimi Antonelli

365 points

George Russell

242 points

Lewis Hamilton

241 points

Max Verstappen

236 points

Charles Leclerc

233 points

Data from the article text

How the title could still slip away

If Antonelli retires or finishes outside the top 10, the championship can still go on, but only if Russell or Hamilton wins the grand prix, which would push the decider to Brazil the following week. Russell could win the race and still finish 100 points behind Antonelli, yet he cannot overtake the Italian's count of race wins, the tiebreaker if points are level. Max Verstappen in fourth and Charles Leclerc in fifth sit six and nine points behind second place, while last year's champion Lando Norris trails by 31 points. Mercedes could also seal the constructors' title on Sunday, holding a 133-point lead in that standings table.

Schedule and conditions

The weekend runs from Friday, 30 October, to Sunday, 1 November, in the traditional format without a sprint. In Italian time, the two Friday practice sessions start at 19:30 and 23:00, third practice on Saturday begins at 18:30, qualifying follows at 22:00, and the race starts at 21:00 on Sunday. The race covers 71 laps of the 4.3-kilometre (2.6-mile) circuit and starts at 2 p.m. local time. The track sits 2,240 metres (7,350 feet) above sea level, where thin air starves the engines of oxygen, cuts power and makes brakes harder to keep from overheating. Hamilton is the only driver to have sealed a title at this circuit, doing so in 2017 with a ninth-place finish, the same result Antonelli needs.

Doubts over the finale

Rai reports that the last two rounds, due on 29 November in Qatar and 6 December in Abu Dhabi, are in doubt because of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Some have speculated that the season finale could move to Imola, and that is the one-off fallback floated if the Gulf races cannot take place. After the United States race, Antonelli said he and his team knew they were close but wanted to finish strongly.

“We know we are very close, but we would like to close in style. We would like to win more races. We hope to conclude everything soon.”

Helmut Marko, the former Red Bull adviser who left the team at the end of last year, said George Russell would probably not get another title chance. Team principal Toto Wolff rejected that view, arguing the car does not suit Russell and that a fast car next season could make him champion.

What the title is worth

StageUp, a sports marketing research and consultancy firm, estimates the title would add 73 million euros (86 million dollars) to Antonelli's earnings through 2030, measured against a scenario without it. A second title by 2028 would lift that figure above 105 million euros (124 million dollars). StageUp president Giovanni Palazzi said the title would make Antonelli the youngest champion in the sport's history. He added that Antonelli has the racing ability, age and maturity to sustain a lasting sporting and commercial position in the years ahead.