Antonelli stands on brink of history in Austin

Kimi Antonelli can become the youngest F1 world champion on Sunday, but far from feeling the pressure he says he is enjoying himself more than usual.

Kimi Antonelli is aiming to become the first Italian F1 world champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953

It certainly looked like it on Saturday at the Circuit of the Americas as he took a surprise pole position by 0.179 seconds from Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

Antonelli will become world champion on Sunday if he wins the race while his Mercedes team-mate George Russell is lower than eighth and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton below fourth.

Antonelli had not been on pole since the Belgian Grand Prix in July after Mercedes' early season dominance came under challenge from first McLaren and then Red Bull. And his delight was clear as he whooped over the team radio on his slowing down lap.

He came into the weekend insisting he was going to try to apply the "same mindset as I had all year - one race at a time".

But on Saturday he acknowledged that this one was a new kind of weekend.

Source: BBC Sport