Kimi Antonelli moved to the verge of a historic Formula 1 championship after securing a commanding victory for Mercedes at the United States Grand Prix on Sunday, putting himself within reach of becoming the sport’s youngest-ever world champion in Mexico next weekend.

The 20-year-old Italian delivered a crucial performance in Texas to strengthen his title bid, although Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari and Mercedes teammate George Russell managed to delay his coronation with fourth- and eighth-place finishes, respectively.

Antonelli now needs just two points, equivalent to a ninth-place finish, at the Mexico City Grand Prix to secure the championship.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished second at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas, crossing the line 13.078 seconds behind the winner. Max Verstappen of Red Bull claimed third place after a late virtual safety car period disrupted Hamilton’s pursuit, with the Ferrari driver finishing around one second behind the Dutchman.

Starting from pole position, Antonelli controlled the race with an impressive one-stop strategy to claim his ninth victory of the season. He now holds a 123-point lead over Russell and sits 124 points ahead of Hamilton. With a maximum of 125 points still available before the Mexico round, the Italian is firmly in control of the title race.

“It was the result we needed, and the whole team deserve it so much,” Antonelli said.

“I know we’re very close. We try to finish on a high, and hopefully we can clinch it very soon.”

Reigning champion Lando Norris finished fifth for McLaren, followed by Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar in sixth. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri finished behind the French driver.

Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson secured ninth place, while Alpine’s Pierre Gasly collected the final championship point.

Antonelli made an excellent start and built a 2.3-second advantage by the end of the opening lap. Behind him, the Ferrari drivers challenged Verstappen for second place after the Red Bull star made a slow getaway.

Leclerc initially moved ahead before Verstappen reclaimed the position. The Ferrari driver also narrowly avoided contact with Hamilton during the uphill battle away from the starting grid.

A brief virtual safety car was introduced on lap two to allow marshals to remove debris from the track. Meanwhile, Russell received a five-second penalty for gaining an advantage over Piastri at Turn 13 on the opening lap.

“I was on the inside, he was overtaking on the outside, that’s his risk,” Russell said over team radio before the penalty was confirmed.

Haas driver Oliver Bearman was handed a 10-second penalty for causing a collision with Gasly. The British rookie subsequently retired from the race around the halfway point.

With another dominant performance behind him, Antonelli heads to Mexico knowing that a top-10 finish could be enough to secure a place in Formula 1 history.