Formula 1 today: Team principals take stock after Austin

Wolff, Mekies and Stella look back on the United States GP, and Antonelli can become world champion in Mexico City.

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Antonelli can wrap it all up in Mexico City

After his win at the United States GP, Andrea Kimi Antonelli leads the championship on 365 points. That puts him 123 points clear of his teammate George Russell (242) and 124 ahead of Lewis Hamilton (241). According to formula1.com, ninth place at the Mexico City GP will be enough for the Mercedes driver, no matter where Russell and Hamilton finish. Formula1.com adds that he would be world champion even without scoring, as long as neither of his two challengers wins the race. motorsport-total.com reaches the same conclusion.

In Austin the decision was put off because Hamilton finished fourth and Russell eighth. You can find the latest picture in our championship standings.

Wolff: Mercedes must help Russell more

Team principal Toto Wolff told formula1.com that Russell is struggling with the W17's narrow operating window. Wolff said the latest upgrade is still difficult to manage, while Antonelli copes with it better. He sees the responsibility as lying with the team, saying the gap between the two drivers does not reflect Russell's true pace. The top priority is to widen the car's operating window.

In the race, Russell was handed a 5-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. He was also stuck behind Oscar Piastri all the way to the chequered flag.

Red Bull: Mekies acknowledges Mercedes' advantage

At Red Bull, team principal Laurent Mekies struck a self-critical tone. According to formula1.com, he conceded that Antonelli was faster than Max Verstappen in Austin and refused to blame tyres or strategy. Above all, the team wants to improve its starts: Verstappen and Isack Hadjar both lost places on the opening lap.

Mekies expects Red Bull to keep closing the gap this season, but not to close it completely. That would require bigger changes to design and hardware, which are unlikely to arrive before next year. Mekies also said Tom Hart and Gianpiero Lambiase will take turns as Verstappen's race engineer for the rest of the season.

McLaren: Upgrades held back for Brazil and Las Vegas

According to McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, the car was roughly as strong as Ferrari and Red Bull in the race after a poor qualifying. On a one-stop strategy, Lando Norris ran as high as second at one point. In the end, he was passed by drivers on two stops and took the chequered flag in fifth. Stella said the one-stop gave them a chance to benefit from a Safety Car, but it never came.

According to formula1.com, McLaren is bringing only a handful of new parts to Mexico, with more to follow in Brazil and Las Vegas.