Max Verstappen could spoil Kimi Antonelli’s title celebrations this weekend. The Red Bull driver is seeking a third consecutive win at the United States Grand Prix, which would keep the championship race open for longer.
Verstappen, a four-time world champion, won the Bahrain and Singapore Grands Prix to become a leading contender again just as Mercedes’ 20-year-old Italian moved within reach of the title. The Dutchman has acknowledged Antonelli’s generational talent. He won from pole at the Circuit of the Americas last year and is chasing a fifth victory on the Texas track.
Verstappen’s recent form and cautious outlook
Verstappen has been careful about predicting success in Austin. After his Singapore win, he said it was difficult to know whether he would be in the fight there. He added that the recent weekends had been great and that he was taking each race as it came.
His run of seven podium finishes in his last eight races, including two wins and three second places, has lifted him to fourth. He is 119 points behind the leader. Analysts following the championship see him as a possible obstacle for Antonelli, though he has not claimed that Red Bull’s improvement will automatically bring more wins.
Antonelli’s lead and what he needs in Texas
Antonelli leads Mercedes team-mate George Russell by 102 points. A victory in Texas would make him Italy’s first champion since Alberto Ascari, who won for Ferrari in 1953, and the youngest title winner in F1 history. Sebastian Vettel set the youngest-champion record for Red Bull in 2010, when Antonelli was only four years old.
For the title to be decided in Texas, Antonelli must win the race and see Russell fail to finish in the top nine. Hamilton would also need to finish outside the top four. Antonelli said he knew the title was close but needed to keep doing his best and perform well in the race.
McLaren’s deputy team principal Bradley Lord compared Antonelli’s position to a tennis match. He said the Italian was in an uncomfortable phase, with everyone telling him he had the first match point.
Mercedes, Ferrari and a demanding triple-header
Russell may benefit if Verstappen keeps Antonelli under pressure. Lewis Hamilton could also be a threat at one of his favourite circuits. He is seeking a record sixth win in the United States and a seventh overall there.
Both Mercedes drivers will use the team’s latest updates package as they head into a decisive run of three races in Texas, Mexico and Brazil. Ferrari and Red Bull could still take the initiative, and the races may be run on bumpy tracks in hot conditions that produce unexpected results.
Verstappen has already warned about the surface. After watching a world endurance race in Austin, he said the track was incredibly bumpy and that he would probably need a new spine after the weekend, or would become like Robocop.
