Antonelli wins US Grand Prix but must wait for title

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct 25 : Kimi Antonelli delivered a dominant US Grand Prix victory for Mercedes on Sunday to stand on the brink of becoming Formula One's youngest ever champion with four rounds to spare in Mexico next weekend.

The 20-year-old Italian did all he could to put the championship out of reach of his rivals in Texas but Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes teammate George Russell did just enough to delay the inevitable with fourth and eighth respectively..

Antonelli now needs to score only two points - a ninth place - in Mexico City to be sure of the title even if Russell wins.

"It was the result we needed and the whole team deserve it so much," he said of his first win since Spain last month. "I know we're very close. We try to finish on a high and hopefully we can clinch it very soon".

LECLERC SECOND AND VERSTAPPEN THIRD 

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finished second, 13.078 seconds behind, in Sunday's race at Austin's Circuit of the Americas with Red Bull's Max Verstappen third and helped by a late virtual safety car that slowed a chasing Hamilton who finished one second down the road.           

The win from pole position on a one-stop strategy was Antonelli's ninth in of the season and he now leads Russell by 123 points, and Hamilton by 124 with a maximum 125 remaining to be won and that reducing to 100 after Mexico.

"The main headline is that for me (it is) the best race he's delivered so far," said Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff. 

"The race of a champion who isn't the champion yet, but exceptional".   

McLaren's reigning champion Lando Norris finished fifth on a one stop strategy after being passed by both Verstappen and Leclerc on lap 47 of 56 with his tyres struggling. Red Bull's Isack Hadjar was sixth, and ahead of