Kimi Antonelli moved closer to his first Formula 1 drivers’ championship with victory at the United States Grand Prix on Sunday, but Lewis Hamilton’s fourth-place finish meant the title would be decided at the next race in Mexico City.

The Mercedes driver dominated the race in Austin at the Circuit of the Americas, finishing 13.078 seconds ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. Red Bull's Max Verstappen rounded out the podium in third.

The championship standings after the race see Antonelli now ahead of team-mate George Russell by 123 points and Hamilton by 124. Russell came home eighth, leaving the championship leader in decent shape going into the next round.

The title could be settled next weekend at the Mexican Grand Prix in Mexico City. Before publication, we should check Antonelli’s precise title-winning scenarios against the official points table and remaining race calendar.

Antonelli runs away with the race.

Antonelli made a great start from the pole and immediately pulled clear as Verstappen and Leclerc battled behind him.

Several rivals chose soft tyres, but Mercedes began the Italian Grand Prix on medium tyres. The strategy allowed Antonelli to complete the race with a single pit stop, unlike several rivals who made two stops.

He retained the lead all the way to the finish to claim his ninth Grand Prix win of the season.

The result also strengthened the argument for the revised car package that Mercedes had introduced earlier in the season. But any assertion that the upgrades definitively made the car faster should be backed up with team data or attributed to Mercedes.

“The team has been rewarded for the work on the new package,” said Antonelli after the race. “The one-stop strategy was fantastic.

He also acknowledged the championship was close and said the team would try to finish the season strong.

Leclerc and Verstappen fight for the podium.

Leclerc and Verstappen were responsible for much of the closest action of the race as they battled for second spot.

Leclerc attacked Verstappen in the first few turns, but the Red Bull driver took the lead back. The two teams continued their battle with different tyre strategies.

Verstappen went in first on lap 13, and Leclerc followed two laps later. Their different tyre choices were decisive in the second half of the race.

Leclerc was able to extend his stint and, little by little, close the gap. Leclerc also overtook McLaren’s Lando Norris and continued to chase the Red Bull after Verstappen had gone past him.

On lap 49, Leclerc passed Verstappen at Turn One to take second.

Verstappen held on for third, keeping Hamilton at bay in the closing stages to finish just under a second clear of the Ferrari driver.

Russell falls back after the penalty

Russell struggled in the afternoon after the stewards handed him a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.

The penalty affected his position in the pit-stop sequence. He recovered to finish eighth, behind Oscar Piastri in seventh for McLaren.

Hamilton’s fourth place was crucial in the championship battle, leaving the title open for another round.

Points for McLaren and the midfield teams

Norris was fifth for McLaren ahead of Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar in sixth place. Piastri was seventh with Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson, and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly rounded out the points-paying places in ninth and 10th.

The victory gives Antonelli the championship driver lead, but the title fight will continue in Mexico City, where the next race could decide the season’s champion.