The Mercedes driver arrives in Austin with a 102-point lead over team-mate George Russell after winning eight races in an impressive 2026 campaign.
Antonelli leads the championship with 340 points, followed by Russell on 238. Lewis Hamilton is third on 229, ahead of Max Verstappen on 221, Charles Leclerc on 215 and Lando Norris on 201.
However, the 20-year-old cannot mathematically secure the championship before Sunday’s race at the Circuit of the Americas, where victory is worth 25 points.
For Antonelli to clinch the title in Austin, he must win the Grand Prix, Russell must finish ninth or lower, and Hamilton must finish fourth or lower.
If those results fall into place, Antonelli would break Sebastian Vettel’s record as the youngest Formula 1 world champion. Vettel was 23 years and 134 days old when he won his first title in 2010.
Antonelli, who turned 20 in August, is refusing to get carried away by the prospect of making history.
“Something catastrophic needs to happen to others for me to become world champion,” he said.
“For me, it needs to be a perfect weekend, and the others need to have poor results, which is unlikely to happen. So, of course, anything can happen, and it’s crazy to think about it.”
The Italian has been one of the standout performers of the season, recovering from a difficult spell during the European races to establish himself as the championship favourite.
He is determined to maintain the approach that has brought him success rather than allow the pressure of a potential title triumph to affect his performances.
“We just said, just have fun, just always the same mindset as I had all year, one race at a time, and just try to do the best I can every race weekend,” Antonelli said.
The prospect of winning the championship at such a young age would fulfil a lifelong ambition for the Mercedes driver, who has quickly established himself among Formula 1’s leading competitors.
“It will be a dream,” he said. “It’s something I dreamt of since I was little. First of all, really to find myself in such a position is incredible.”
However, Antonelli stressed that the job was not finished, despite his substantial advantage in the standings.
“I need to keep going, keep pushing, and it’s not over yet. So first, we’ll try to finish the job properly, and then we can enjoy the rest of the season.”
The United States Grand Prix takes place from 23 to 25 October, with Sunday’s race offering Antonelli another opportunity to strengthen his grip on the championship. While the title is unlikely to be decided in Austin, the young Italian is closing in on a place in Formula 1 history.
