Antonelli on pole with chance to become F1’s youngest champion in Austin

Kimi Antonelli can become Formula 1’s youngest world champion at the United States Grand Prix on Sunday, after taking pole position in Austin and opening a 102-point lead over Mercedes team-mate George Russell.

The 20-year-old Italian will secure the title if he wins at the Circuit of the Americas, Russell finishes ninth or lower, and Lewis Hamilton comes home outside the top four. Russell starts sixth and Hamilton fifth, while Antonelli starts first after beating Max Verstappen to pole by 0.179 seconds.

Antonelli said the title opportunity made the weekend feel different, but that he was enjoying the driving. “I just need to keep doing my job,” he said. He added that he and his friends had been playing cards in the evenings to help him relax.

A title on Sunday is not the likeliest outcome, according to BBC Sport’s assessment of the points situation. But Antonelli’s advantage means the championship appears within reach over the coming races: if he does not clinch it in Austin, Verstappen said, he could do so in Mexico City or São Paulo.

If Antonelli wins the championship, he will be 20 years and 61 days old, more than three years younger than the current record-holder, Sebastian Vettel, who was 23 years and 133 days old when he won his first title in 2010. Antonelli has won eight of the 17 races so far this season, including a run of five consecutive victories.

His pole was not widely expected. Ferrari and Verstappen had looked stronger prospects before qualifying, but Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Hamilton started fifth and fourth respectively, while Verstappen took second. Verstappen said Red Bull had been happier with its long-run pace, setting up a potential challenge over the race distance.

Antonelli has not taken pole since July’s Belgian Grand Prix, as Mercedes’ early-season dominance came under pressure from McLaren and then Red Bull. He had a difficult first season in 2025, but has emerged as a title contender this year. Pole gives him a strong starting position; the championship still depends on Sunday’s result and those of his rivals.