F1pedia Papers
Technical, data-driven analysis — one paper per race, plus season and method deep-dives.
Antonelli, 2026 champion: the story of the youngest title and why he beat Russell in the same car
Champion at 20 years and 68 days, with four races to go and 130 points over his team-mate. From Bologna to Brackley, the year of the tears in 2025, the 19 races of 2026, and the question that matters, measured corner by corner: in the same car, where did Antonelli beat Russell.
Verstappen won from fifth by 0.799s and Antonelli, third, is champion at 20. But corrected for tyres Ferrari had the pace: Leclerc led 27 laps and lost the lead in the pits, serving the 5 seconds from the Turn 4 clash with Hamilton on lap 1. With the corners-and-straights model, Colapinto's starts, Hirakawa's debut and Bottas's failure.
Antonelli won from pole with a single stop and led 49 of 56 laps: his 32-lap stint on hards got faster as it went on. Norris tried the same on 40 laps of hards and dropped from second to fifth. With 125 points at stake, the title stayed two points away: Mexico can settle it.
Verstappen won from pole with a single stop and the lowest degradation of the night. On lap 39, under the second VSC, Ferrari called both cars in and Hamilton stayed out on 20-lap-old softs: he was third and finished sixth. Antonelli, third, can clinch the title in Austin.
