It has been very clear from early on that Kimi Antonelli will become Formula 1 world champion in 2026 after an impressively dominant year for the Mercedes driver. The 20-year-old has made a huge jump from his up-and-down rookie campaign and with five consecutive wins, Kimi Antonelli has been the man to beat virtually all season.
Now, the first chance for him to wrap up the title is finally in sight next time out in Austin with a 102-point gap over team-mate George Russell in second. If he were to clinch the title at the United States Grand Prix, then Kimi Antonelli will have become champion with five rounds remaining - one shy of the record held by Michael Schumacher from 2002. Here is how he could do it.
Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Although it is clear which way the title is going, six drivers are still in mathematical contention due to there being 150 points left available in the 2026 campaign. That leaves Kimi Antonelli, George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris all with some kind of chance of winning the championship as 139 points separates the top six in the standings.
Considering it is 25 points for a grand prix win and there are five rounds after Austin, Kimi Antonelli must hold an advantage of at least 125 points to become champion. That is the maximum total available post-Texas, but because the Italian is on eight victories for the season, George Russell is next on three, meaning he could clinch the crown on countback of wins.
An example of that is the most straightforward way for Kimi Antonelli to become world champion: winning the United States Grand Prix, while George Russell finishes ninth or lower. Although it is quite unlikely, that would nevertheless leave a 125-point gap between the Mercedes duo with Kimi Antonelli taking it on countback. If George Russell finishes 10th at Austin, then Kimi Antonelli would still need to win the race to become champion that day.
For Lewis Hamilton to remain in contention, the Ferrari driver cannot be outscored by 14 or more points in the United States. So if Kimi Antonelli wins, Lewis Hamilton must finish at least fourth and if the Mercedes driver is second, the seven-time world champion needs seventh or above.
For Max Verstappen - the man in form with two wins on the bounce in yet another late resurgence from Red Bull - to be put out of title contention, then Kimi Antonelli simply needs to outscore the Red Bull driver by at least six points. So if the Mercedes driver takes to the top step in Texas, that is enough to end all hopes for Max Verstappen.
It is much simpler when it comes to Kimi Antonelli versus Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris, because not losing any points to them would put both out of contention.
Kimi Antonelli currently occupies 1st place in the drivers' championship standings with 340 points.
Source: Autosport
