The Italian stands on the brink of glory

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Kimi Antonelli has revealed his plan to turn a surprise United States Grand Prix pole into victory as the Mercedes star stands on the brink of clinching his first Formula One world title on Sunday.

The 20-year-old can secure the championship in Austin if he wins, Lewis Hamilton finishes lower than fourth and George Russell ends up below eighth.

Antonelli's priority is to protect his advantage on the uphill charge into Turn One, before attempting to dictate the pace with two Red Bulls behind him.

"We try to get a good start and hopefully lead into Turn One and try to set the pace, even though it's going to be very tight," he said.

But the Italian acknowledged that starting at the front offers no guarantee of victory, particularly with Verstappen and Hadjar ready to pounce.

"We got pole so we will try to win tomorrow but Max has been very quick and Isack did an incredible job so it is not going to be easy," Antonelli added.