Antonelli one win from F1's youngest-ever title as Austin's 'unacceptable' bumps alarm drivers

Antonelli stands on brink of record-breaking crown

The Formula One world championship is within reach for Kimi Antonelli at the United States Grand Prix in Austin this weekend, though the 20-year-old Italian insists he is approaching the race with a simple philosophy.

"We had a meeting with Bono [Bonnington] this morning and we said: 'Just have fun'," Antonelli said. "It's the same mindset I've had all year. One race at a time. Just try to do the best I can every race weekend, and then we'll see."

Should he clinch the title at the Circuit of the Americas on Sunday, Antonelli would become Formula One's youngest ever world champion, eclipsing the record set by Sebastian Vettel in 2010, when the German was 23 and Antonelli was just four years old.

The scenario remains an outside chance that Antonelli has openly acknowledged. To be crowned, he must win while his Mercedes teammate George Russell finishes outside the top eight and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton ends up outside the top four. Antonelli accepts the title race is effectively over but has kept the cool head that has propelled him to the front of the grid with remarkable speed.

After a tricky rookie season, the Mercedes driver has adapted quickly to competing at the sharp end. He draws on experience from his junior career to manage the pressure.

"Formula One is different because the pressure is a lot bigger than in anything else," he added. "The competition is a little bit higher as well because you're racing with 21 of the best drivers in the world. But when you fight for championships in karting and junior series, the mindset is very similar in the way you approach races and the way you think."

Drivers blast 'unacceptable' state of Austin circuit

Away from the title fight, the Austin track itself has drawn unusually severe criticism from drivers over the potential long-term health dangers posed by its deteriorating surface. The race has been staged in Texas since 2012 and has a contract running until 2034, but the bumpy surface — caused by the marshland beneath the tarmac — has been condemned as potentially harmful, forcing jarring impacts into the base of drivers' spines.

"The bumps are unacceptable. Over time they've been grinding a little bit here and there but it's just putting a plaster on the big problem," said Red Bull's Max Verstappen. "You need to really fully open up the track. That costs a lot of money and time but that's the only way to get rid of it because these bumps are not natural and they are out of control."

Verstappen warned of lasting physical damage. "From the checks that I've done from my spine, the bottom end doesn't look that great. I know that's part of racing. I know that can be part of sport but it's also further damage from the cars that we had the last few years. If we continue with finding this acceptable to drive on, then you are going to suffer with that much more."

The defending world champion, Lando Norris, echoed the frustration that drivers' concerns are going unheard.

"It's pretty bad. There's a lot of places I need to take headache tablets before I go out simply because it's so bumpy and you're hitting your head pretty hard against the headrest because of the bumps. So it's certainly not a nice thing," Norris said. "There's not much we can do. I mean, we complain about it, it's stuff we've brought up many, many times but there's only so much we can complain about things."