Toto Wolff has hailed Kimi Antonelli as the undisputed F1 champion after the Mercedes driver won the United States Grand Prix in Austin. The 20-year-old Italian clinched his ninth victory of the season with a dominant one-stop strategy.

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Antonelli finished nearly a minute ahead of his closest rival, teammate George Russell, who struggled to an uncharacteristic eighth place.

Title all but sealed

The win extends Antonelli’s lead in the Drivers’ Championship to an insurmountable 123 points over Russell and 124 over Lewis Hamilton, with only 125 points remaining in the season. The official coronation is pending the Mexican Grand Prix, but Wolff declared Antonelli’s championship status all but sealed.

“It is 99.9% done,” Wolff stated, acknowledging that the Italian’s performance in Austin was the finest display of his career so far. “He got off the start with the inferior tyre and then controlled the race at all times. It was the race of a champion who isn’t the champion yet, but he was exceptional and outperformed the car.”

Antonelli’s ability to extract maximum performance from the Mercedes was evident throughout qualifying and race day, with Wolff noting his riding style perfectly complements the machine. “On his last lap in qualifying, he could have been another tenth or half-a-tenth quicker. It is extremely satisfying to see what he’s been able to deliver, how he works with the team, especially with Bono, yielding the results. But it wasn’t an easy road.”

Nine years in the making

The Mercedes team principal also reflected on the long journey behind Antonelli’s rise to the pinnacle of Formula 1, highlighting the long-term investment and development that have shaped the young prodigy. “Our junior team, led by Gwen Lagrue, discovered him at just 11 years old. This is the work of nine years—development, hardship, integration into the team—supported by over ten million euros invested in his career and character with his parents.”

Wolff recalled the harsh criticism Antonelli faced last season after nine point-less races, with detractors questioning his place at Mercedes and even in F1, citing the emotional scene at Spa’s parc fermé.

With the Mexican GP looming, the only question remaining is whether Antonelli will celebrate his coronation with a “tequila party” in Mexico City or if the title decider will be pushed to the São Paulo finale. Regardless, Toto Wolff’s declaration leaves no doubt: Kimi Antonelli is the F1 world champion in all but name.