Kimi Antonelli Wins the 2026 United States Grand Prix as Leclerc and Verstappen Join Him on the Podium
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli claimed victory at the 2026 United States Grand Prix in Austin, delivering a strong performance in a race shaped by tyre strategies, pit stops and a late battle for the podium.
Charles Leclerc finished second, with Max Verstappen taking third place. Lewis Hamilton crossed the line in fourth, followed by Lando Norris in fifth.
Leclerc Makes an Impressive Start
Championship leader Antonelli started from pole position on medium tyres, while the Red Bull drivers and Ferrari’s representatives in the top five opted for soft compounds.
When the five red lights went out, Antonelli made a clean getaway and held on to the lead. Leclerc, however, made an excellent move through the opening corner, gaining two positions to move into second place behind the Mercedes driver. Isack Hadjar, who had started third, dropped to fourth and became one of the biggest losers in the opening phase.
A few laps later, Lance Stroll reported over the team radio that debris appeared to be coming off Franco Colapinto’s car ahead of him. Meanwhile, George Russell, running sixth behind Hadjar, received a five-second time penalty for gaining an advantage by going off the track at the start.
Pit Stops and Penalties Shape the Race
The first major strategic moves began on lap 14, when Verstappen became the first driver to pit. The Red Bull driver switched to another set of soft tyres. Hamilton followed one lap later but chose the yellow-marked compound, taking a different approach to his tyre strategy.
Oliver Bearman also encountered trouble during the opening half of the race. Following contact with Pierre Gasly, he was handed a 10-second time penalty. A few laps later, Bearman returned to the garage and retired from the race.
At the halfway point, Verstappen was running at the front. However, his second pit stop allowed Antonelli to regain the lead. The Mercedes driver was back in first place and positioned himself strongly for the remainder of the race.
On lap 37, Alpine instructed Colapinto to return to the garage and retire his car. Hamilton made his final pit stop a few laps later, switching to hard tyres. He rejoined in sixth place and continued pushing as he attempted to close the gap to the drivers ahead.
Late Battle for the Podium
Fernando Alonso also retired during the closing stages, bringing his race to an end in the garage. Further up the field, the fight for the podium intensified as Norris, Verstappen and Leclerc closed in on one another.
With 10 laps remaining, Verstappen made his move on Norris and took second place. Leclerc capitalised on Norris losing momentum, passing the McLaren driver to move into third.
On lap 49, Leclerc overtook Verstappen as well, climbing into second place. McLaren considered bringing Norris into the pits after identifying a possible blistered or damaged area on one of his tyres. However, Norris reported that he was not experiencing any significant problems and stayed out on track.
Hamilton was closing in on Norris at the same time. One lap later, the Ferrari driver passed the McLaren and moved up to fourth, completing a strong recovery during the final phase of the race.
Bottas Retirement Triggers a Virtual Safety Car
With five laps to go, Cadillac driver Valtteri Bottas encountered an engine problem and pulled his car to the side of the track. He initially attempted to make his way slowly back to the pits, but came to a stop a few corners later. Race control responded by deploying the Virtual Safety Car.
The incident made it more difficult for the drivers to change the order in the closing laps. When the chequered flag finally fell, Antonelli was the winner in Austin, having maintained his pace and regained the lead at a crucial point in the race.
Leclerc secured second place, while Verstappen completed the podium in third. Hamilton finished fourth and Norris took fifth. Hadjar, who had started from third on the grid, crossed the line in sixth, followed by Oscar Piastri in seventh.
George Russell, Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly completed the top 10.
The Austin race was defined by Antonelli’s consistent performance and the strategic decisions that helped him return to the front. Meanwhile, late overtakes from Leclerc and Verstappen provided much of the drama in the battle for the podium.
