Charles Leclerc trimmed nearly two seconds off Kimi Antonelli’s winning margin on the final lap of the US Grand Prix. This meant Leclerc fell fractionally short of beating the Italian driver’s season-best 13.7-second gap over Oscar Piastri in Japan earlier this year. Despite this late charge, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff declared that this latest triumph was Antonelli’s best race yet.
Assessing the Austin Triumph
According to the analysis, this is massive praise from his team boss. While the drive was far less eye-catching than several of his other victories this season, the reasoning behind Wolff’s strong impression is clear.
Antonelli secured pole position by nailing the qualifying session, a result Mercedes itself considered a long shot beforehand. Statistically, pole position in Austin presents one of the hardest spots to retain the lead from at the start. The track is exceptionally wide approaching the first corner, and historically, the driver starting in second place tends to achieve better launches while gaining a golden opportunity to dive into the lead.
