![\"How](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/XPB_1444495_HiRes.jpg\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKimi Antonelli can win the title next round in Austin. Image: XPB Images<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKimi Antonelli can win the title next round in Austin. Image: XPB Images<\/p>\n
The Mercedes driver now leads teammate George Russell by 102 points after finishing third in Singapore, while engine-related grid penalties consigned the Briton to the back of the field before he recovered to ninth.<\/p>\n
With six grands prix remaining on the scheduled 2026 calendar, Antonelli is now within reach of securing the championship before the season enters its final five rounds.<\/p>\n
But the 20-year-old faces a specific set of circumstances if he is to be crowned at Circuit of the Americas on October 25.<\/p>\n
Antonelli must win the United States Grand Prix, with Russell finishing ninth or lower and Ferrari\u2019s Lewis Hamilton no higher than fifth. Any other combination will keep the title undecided until at least the following round in Mexico.<\/p>\n
Victory would take Antonelli from 340 to 365 points. If Russell finishes ninth, his total would rise to 240, leaving exactly 125 points between the Mercedes drivers with 125 still available over the final five races.<\/p>\n
That margin would be sufficient because Antonelli would have nine victories for the season, compared with Russell\u2019s three. Even by winning every remaining race, Russell could only finish the year with eight, giving Antonelli the championship on countback should their points totals become equal.<\/p>\n
Hamilton, currently 111 points behind Antonelli, would also have to finish outside the top four. A fourth-place result for the Ferrari driver would be enough to prevent the title being decided in Texas.<\/p>\n
Finishing second would not do the job for Antonelli, even if Russell failed to score, while an Austin victory would eliminate Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris from mathematical contention regardless of their results.<\/p>\n
The opportunity has emerged after a remarkable swing during the final two races of f1\u2019s recent triple-header.<\/p>\n
Russell had revived his hopes with a dominant win in Baku, where Antonelli managed only fifth and his advantage fell to 66 points with eight races still to run.<\/p>\n
But the Italian collected 38 points across the following races in Malaysia and Singapore, while Russell added only two, leaving the gap larger than it had been before Baku.<\/p>\n
Antonelli\u2019s Singapore result was his 14th podium in 17 races this season, with the championship leader having missed the top three on just three occasions.<\/p>\n
He moved from fourth to third late in Sunday\u2019s grand prix, benefiting as Hamilton and McLaren\u2019s Lando Norris lost time fighting one another, and finished behind Verstappen and Leclerc.<\/p>\n
Antonelli appeared taken aback when the possibility of clinching the championship in Austin was raised following the race.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan I? Really?\u201d Antonelli said.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s not worry about that! Let\u2019s try to do the best weekends possible and finish the job.\u201d<\/p>\n
His podium came after Mercedes made progress with its car across the Singapore weekend, although Antonelli still experienced contrasting fortunes with the two tyre compounds during the race.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was not easy out there,\u201d he said after the race.<\/p>\n
\u201cI felt very good on the soft [tyre], but on the medium I struggled a lot. Then on the soft the pace was very good at the end; it was very, very good, so that\u2019s a positive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Should Antonelli clinch the championship in Austin, he would become the youngest world champion in F1 history at 20 years and 61 days, surpassing Sebastian Vettel\u2019s record, and the first Italian drivers\u2019 champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953.<\/p>\n
It would also see him claim the title with five rounds to spare, one fewer than Michael Schumacher managed in 2002.<\/p>\n
The calculations assume all six remaining grands prix take place as scheduled, including the Qatar and Abu Dhabi rounds at the end of the season.<\/p>\n