How Kimi Antonelli Can Win the F1 World Championship at the US GP
There are still six races left in the 2026 season, but Kimi Antonelli could already become champion in Austin. At the Singapore Grand Prix, Antonelli finished third behind Charles Leclerc and race winner Max Verstappen, earning 15 points and bringing his total this season to an impressive 340.
His Mercedes teammate George Russell finished ninth after starting 19th due to a penalty for extra power unit parts. This gives Antonelli a great chance to clinch his first F1 Drivers’ Championship in the next race, which will be in Austin, Texas.
The United States Grand Prix is next on the calendar and will take place at the famous Circuit of The Americas from October 22-25. Before this race, Antonelli leads Russell by 102 points, with 150 points still available over the last six races of the season.
Winners get 23 points, and since five races remain after Austin, Antonelli needs to keep at least a 125-point lead to be crowned champion there. If he does, he will become champion with five races left—just one race behind the record set by F1 legend Michael Schumacher in 2002.
The most likely way for this to happen is if Antonelli wins in Austin while Russell finishes ninth or lower. Even though Russell could still catch up by winning all five remaining races and Antonelli finishing 11th or worse, Antonelli would still win the championship because he would have more race wins—nine to Russell’s possible eight.
If Antonelli wins in Austin and Russell finishes tenth or lower, Antonelli could also clinch the title just on points. But Antonelli also needs to watch out for Lewis Hamilton, who is third in the standings. If Antonelli wins, Hamilton must finish fifth or lower for Antonelli to secure the championship.
Hamilton will need to keep the points difference below 14 to stay in the title fight going into the Mexico Grand Prix. When asked about the chance to win the title in Austin, Antonelli stayed calm. “Can I? Really? Well, let’s not worry about that. Let’s try to do the best weekend possible and finish the job,” he told Jenson Button in Singapore.
Technically, six drivers can still win the championship: Antonelli, Russell, Hamilton, Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, and Lando Norris. Verstappen is in great form with two wins in a row, exciting fans with a possible late comeback.
But for Verstappen to win his eighth Drivers’ Championship, he’ll need a miracle. If Antonelli wins even one of the remaining races, Verstappen is out of the running. If Verstappen finishes second or lower than fourth at any point, he’s also out of the title fight.
In simple terms, with six races left, Antonelli can only score 30 more points if Verstappen is to become world champion—and Verstappen would need to win all remaining races. It’s a tough chance for Verstappen, but if anyone could pull it off, it’s him.
If you want more, check out our story on the seven F1 tracks Max Verstappen has yet to win at after his Singapore victory.