The latest round of the season saw Kimi Antonelli claim his ninth win of the season with a dominant display at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, with Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen joining him on the podium.
As a result, while Lewis Hamilton (fourth) and George Russell (eighth) just about finished high enough to keep the title fight going, it's now only a matter of time until Antonelli becomes Formula 1's youngest world champion ever, with the Italian highly likely to seal the deal later this week in Mexico.
These are Finley Crebolder's main takeaways from the weekend in Texas.
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Antonelli has nothing left to prove
When a driver wins a title in the best car on the grid, it's impossible not to wonder how much his triumph was down to his driving and how much it was down to his machinery. Faced with such questions in Austin, Antonelli made it clearer than ever that he's at the absolute top of Formula 1 not just in terms of the standings, but in terms of ability.
Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull were all fairly evenly matched at the Circuit of the Americas, meaning Antonelli would have to outdrive Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc, two all-time greats and a driver considered by many to be the best never to win a title. Across the weekend that followed, he didn't just outdrive them, but completely outclassed them.
He was the only driver to produce a perfect lap in qualifying, and was equally as flawless on race day. It looked like Verstappen and Leclerc would be all over him in the closing stages when they committed to two-stop strategies while he decided to only pit once, but thanks to excellent tyre management and consistent pace, he ultimately held them off with ease.
Maybe more so than ever, we were able to directly compare him with a number of F1's very best drivers, and he passed the test with flying colours. In just about every area, he looked as good as all of them.
Given his age, that's really quite something, and becomes even more special when you consider that he's dealing with the immense pressure of trying to seal his first world championship, and in just his second season on the grid; Lando Norris struggled hugely under such pressure, having been in F1 for almost a decade.
Norris, Nico Rosberg and Jenson Button are all 21st-century world champions who I don't think would've won a title if they hadn't been given a dominant car for a season, but when Antonelli surely wins his this weekend, he won't fall into that category.
Mercedes are no mugs
Credit, too, has to go to Mercedes.
As they've been out-developed by a resurgent Red Bull team and have struggled with reliability and upgrades, there's been a growing belief that they were just the top dogs this season because they got their head around the new regulations quicker than anyone, and will be surpassed in the coming seasons by stronger operations in the form of Red Bull and McLaren. However, Toto Wolff's team showed in Texas that they remain a top outfit themselves.
When Red Bull and Ferrari committed Verstappen and Leclerc to two-stop strategies, Mercedes could've easily played it safe and done the same with Antonelli, ensuring that he wouldn't lose any time to his rivals through strategy. Instead, though, they boldly gave him a one-stop strategy that they alone felt was best, and it proved to be the right call.
As well as for their strategists, the United States Grand Prix was also a huge success for their upgrades. Introduced in Sepang and failing to have the desired impact there and in Singapore, the updates looked to be a misstep for the team, but they had a much better understanding of them in Austin and regained ground on their rivals as a result.
In Verstappen and Red Bull, one of the most formidable driver-team combos in F1 history looks set to return to the front and stage a title challenge in 2027, but we should all be wary of writing off the Silver Arrows, who made it clear in the US that they too are still very capable of out-thinking their rivals and improving their machinery.
Battles brewing behind the leaders
Antonelli and Mercedes are now all but certain to seal the 2027 Drivers' and Constructors' World Championships, but there are big battles brewing behind the leaders as we enter the final stages of the season.
Another poor race for the other Mercedes, George Russell - ruined by a penalty - and strong results for the Ferraris and Verstappen have left the fight for second in the drivers' standings tantalisingly tight, with just nine points separating the four men.
The fight between the Ferraris feels especially important as Hamilton and Leclerc vie to establish themselves as the team leader for potential title challenges in the coming years. In his first season, there was very much a feeling that the Brit had joined Leclerc's team, and he'll be keen to stay ahead of the Monegasque to show that's not the case and confirm to himself as much as anyone that he remains capable of beating the best.
Perhaps the more important battle comes in the team standings though, where Red Bull and McLaren are now level on points in the battle for third.
Far more so than in the drivers' championship, the difference between two places is of huge significance for teams, with third providing millions of dollars more than fourth in prize money, money that can be used on building and developing cars and recruiting talent - whether drivers or staff - in future seasons.
The fight to seal that extra income looks set to be a tight one now that Red Bull have improved their car and Isack Hadjar is performing excellently in their second seat. In fact, I'd say he's driving better than the second McLaren, Oscar Piastri, right now, who has been needing to get back to his best for a while now.
Four top drivers, two top teams, and lots on the line. Bring it on.
Finley Crebolder has been a news editor for Flashscore since 2023. His specialist areas are Dutch football, Formula 1 and tennis, and being based in London, he can often be found covering sporting events in and around the English capital. You can follow him on X here and read his latest features here.
