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F1

Kimi Antonelli wins in Austin for ninth time ahead of Mexico Grand Prix

The Mercedes driver started from pole and won on a one-stop strategy, with Charles Leclerc and Max completing the podium seven days before the Mexico round.

By Sportsback
Max Verstappen supporters running to the podium 2017 MalaysiaMorio · CC BY-SA 4.0

Formula 1 returns this weekend for the Mexico Grand Prix, seven days after Kimi Antonelli won in Austin for the ninth time in the 2026 season. The Mercedes driver started from pole and took victory on a one-stop strategy.

Charles Leclerc and Max completed the podium, both having stopped twice. The single-stop call was the decision that shaped the race, and it belonged to Antonelli and his team.

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How Antonelli won in Austin

Max Verstappen Giving Me the Evil Eye (29546757073)Rob Alter from Brazil or US · CC BY 2.0
Max Verstappen Giving Me the Evil Eye (29546757073)

The race was largely defined by strategy. Antonelli ran one stop and made it work from the front, while the two drivers who joined him on the podium committed to two. Pole position gave him the track position to make the plan stick, and he turned it into his ninth win of the year.

Nine wins is the defining number of Antonelli's 2026 season, and it sets the terms of the Mexico weekend. The field moves to a different circuit with the same question attached: whether the one-stop approach that decided Austin can be repeated there.

Why the Mexico Grand Prix matters

2019 Formula One tests Barcelona, Verstappen (33376132698)Marc Alvarado · CC BY-SA 2.0
2019 Formula One tests Barcelona, Verstappen (33376132698)

The Mexico round follows seven days after Austin, a short gap that leaves teams little time to change direction. For Mercedes it is a chance to show the Austin win was the start of something; for everyone else it is the first opportunity to answer it.

The result also sharpened the shape of the podium: one car on a single stop, two on two. That split travels with the teams into the next round, where track position and tyre life will be weighed again.

The Mexico weekend will also be judged on how the chasing teams respond. A one-stop win from pole is a template rivals will study, and the first evidence of whether they have an answer will come in qualifying.

What is not yet known about Mexico

It is not yet known which teams will bring upgrades to Mexico, or whether any driver will arrive carrying a grid penalty. The competitive order at the circuit is unresolved, and the Austin result does not settle how the cars will behave there. Mercedes have not set out their expectations for the weekend.

What happens next

The Mexico Grand Prix takes place this weekend, and the result will be the first proper measure of Antonelli's run. A tenth win would extend it. Anything less reopens the argument about how much of Austin was strategy and how much was pace.

Frequently asked questions

Who won the Formula 1 race in Austin?
Kimi Antonelli won for Mercedes after starting from pole and running a one-stop strategy. It was his ninth victory of the 2026 season.
How many races has Kimi Antonelli won in 2026?
Nine. The Austin round was his ninth win of the season, and the Mexico Grand Prix follows seven days later.
When is the Mexico Grand Prix?
It is scheduled for this weekend, one week after the Austin round. An exact date has not been given.
Who else finished on the podium in Austin?
Charles Leclerc and Max joined Antonelli on the podium, both having stopped twice during the race.

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