What steps must Kimi Antonelli take to secure the world championship at the F1 US Grand Prix?

From the outset, it has been evident that Kimi Antonelli is on track to become the Formula 1 world champion in 2026, following an incredibly commanding season as the Mercedes driver.

The 20-year-old has made a significant leap from his inconsistent rookie year, and with five straight victories from rounds two to six, Antonelli has emerged as the driver to beat throughout the season.

Now, the opportunity to secure the title is just around the corner in Austin, as he holds a substantial 102-point lead over teammate George Russell, who is currently in second place.

If he manages to secure the championship at the United States Grand Prix, Antonelli would achieve this feat with five races still to go—one race shy of the record set by Michael Schumacher in 2002.

Here's how he can accomplish it.

Which drivers still have a shot at the F1 2026 world title?

While the title race appears to be leaning heavily in one direction, six drivers remain mathematically in contention due to the remaining 150 points available in the 2026 season.

This means Antonelli, Russell, Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, and Lando Norris all still harbor a chance of clinching the championship, as just 139 points separate the top six in the standings. 

Given that a grand prix victory yields 25 points and there are five races following Austin, Antonelli needs to maintain a lead of at least 125 points to secure the championship. This is the maximum total available after Texas, yet with the Italian achieving eight wins this season compared to Russell's three, he could also claim the title based on a tiebreaker of victories.

A straightforward scenario for Antonelli to become world champion would be winning the US GP, while Russell finishes ninth or lower. Although this is unlikely, it would still establish a 125-point gap between the two Mercedes drivers, allowing Antonelli to win on countback.

If Russell were to finish 10th in Austin, Antonelli would still need to win the race to be crowned champion that day. If Russell finishes eighth or better, the title battle would extend to Mexico at the end of October.

For Hamilton to stay in the race, the Ferrari driver must not be outscored by 14 or more points in the United States. If Antonelli wins, Hamilton needs to finish at least fourth, and if the Mercedes driver comes in second, the seven-time world champion must place seventh or better.

For Verstappen—who is currently in good form with two consecutive wins and another resurgence from Red Bull—Antonelli simply needs to outscore him by at least six points to eliminate him from championship contention.

Should the Mercedes driver claim victory in Texas, that would suffice to extinguish Verstappen's hopes. If Antonelli finishes second, then Verstappen must finish fourth or lower to be out of the running.

It's much more straightforward concerning Antonelli against Leclerc and Norris, as not conceding any points to them would effectively eliminate both from contention. 

The information above aligns with the current schedule, which concludes with the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix.