Kimi Antonelli is two points from the Formula 1 world title after winning in Austin, while Kyle Larson turned a five-point NASCAR lead into 73 with a remarkable Talladega victory.
Elsewhere, Charles Leclerc gave Ferrari more encouragement, and Marc Marquez took the MotoGP championship lead on a weekend cut short by the cancellation of the Australian Grand Prix.
Catch up on Monday’s biggest stories in Read Motorsport News.
Antonelli closes in on F1 title
Antonelli’s ninth victory of the season leaves him on the verge of becoming world champion after a commanding United States Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver won from pole by 13.078 seconds, with Charles Leclerc second and Max Verstappen third. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton did enough to keep the championship alive, but Antonelli now needs only two points in Mexico to finish the job.
Our full United States GP report has the classification and how the strategies played out, while our four things we learned from Austin looks at Antonelli’s title position, Russell’s difficult weekend and the contrasting fortunes of Mercedes and Ferrari.
Leclerc gives Ferrari hope
Leclerc could not catch Antonelli, but his drive from fourth to second provided Ferrari with another encouraging result. The Monegasque fought Verstappen from the opening lap and passed the Red Bull late in the race after also clearing Lando Norris. He was subsequently voted Driver of the Day.
Leclerc also believes changes to his own driving and set-up have helped him become more comfortable with the SF-26. After consecutive second places in Singapore and Austin, our look at Leclerc’s Austin drive considers whether Ferrari can challenge for a victory before the season ends.
Larson turns NASCAR title race around
A week can make quite a difference in NASCAR. Larson arrived at Talladega only five points clear in the Cup Series standings. He left with a 73-point advantage after producing an extraordinary recovery on the final lap to win the YellaWood 500 by 0.041 seconds from William Byron.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver had fallen as low as 11th after taking the white flag before charging back through the field. His first Talladega Cup victory means he can now clinch his third championship at Martinsville.
Our Talladega report and NASCAR title breakdown explains what Larson needs next weekend.
Marquez leads after Australian MotoGP cancellation
There was no Australian MotoGP race on Sunday after poor visibility at Phillip Island prevented the medical helicopter from operating safely. That followed a dramatic Sprint in which Marquez won, and championship leader Jorge Martin crashed while fighting him at the front. Martin suffered a fractured right wrist and was declared unfit for Sunday’s race before it was cancelled.
Marquez therefore leaves Australia 10 points ahead, although the cancellation prevented him from potentially taking another 25 points while Martin was unable to race. Our Australian MotoGP report has the latest on Martin’s injury and the championship picture with four rounds remaining.
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