Kimi Antonelli says he will not think about the world championship heading into the 2026 F1 United States GP. The Mercedes driver can clinch the title in Austin at round 18 of the 2026 season. He would need a near-perfect weekend and poor results for his rivals. Antonelli spoke in the FIA press conference alongside Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas.
Antonelli on his title chance at the United States GP
Kimi Antonelli admitted the prospect of becoming champion felt surreal, so he has chosen not to dwell on it. He knows the math is against him, with his rivals needing a very difficult afternoon in Austin.
“I mean, it definitely is crazy if you think about it, but that’s why I won’t think about it. I’ve heard that something catastrophic needs to happen to the others for me to become champion. For me, it needs to be a perfect weekend. The others need to have a poor result, which is unlikely to happen,” Antonelli stated.
Instead, the focus has stayed on enjoying the weekend. Antonelli’s meeting with race engineer Peter Bonnington set a simple goal for the 2026 F1 United States GP, in keeping with his approach all season.
“So, of course, anything can happen, and it’s crazy to think about it. But, as I said, we had a meeting with Bono this morning, and we just said, “Just have fun.” It’s always 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. But, of course, if I do things well, then the result will come.”
Antonelli on following in Lewis Hamilton’s footsteps
Hamilton won six of his seven titles with Mercedes, and Antonelli replaced him at the team in 2025. If he manages to clinch the title at the F1 United States GP, Antonelli would be the team’s first champion since Hamilton in 2020. The 20-year-old would also become the youngest one in the sport’s history.
“I mean, it would be a dream. It’s something I’ve dreamt of since I was little. First of all, to find myself in such a position is incredible. But at the same time, I need to keep going, keep pushing, and it’s not over yet. So first, we’ll try to finish the job properly, and then we can enjoy the rest. But, for sure, it would be an incredible achievement, but there’s still a bit to go.”
Antonelli on lessons from karting and junior titles
Antonelli won titles in karting and the junior categories before reaching F1. He said the stakes are now much higher. “For sure. I mean, obviously, Formula 1 is different because the pressure is a lot bigger than in anything else. So yeah, the pressure is a bit more. The competition is a little bit higher as well because you’re racing with 21 of the best drivers in the world. So, it’s definitely a bit more complicated in that regard.”
Even so, he believes those early title fights give him a solid foundation at the United States GP. “But I think 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. So, it definitely does help, the fact that I was able to fight for championships already from karting, and it kind of prepares you as well to face certain situations. Of course, the F1 stage is a lot bigger and more complicated to handle in certain ways, but definitely the basics have been there from the start.”
Antonelli on Melbourne and mental growth ahead of the 2026 F1 United States GP
Antonelli arrives at the 2026 F1 United States GP on the brink of the title. He crashed out of final practice at the Australian GP, hitting the wall at the exit of Turn 2. Mercedes repaired the heavy damage in time for qualifying, and he recovered to finish second in Melbourne. Asked whether that weekend showed his mental growth since his debut season, he agreed.
“Yeah, for sure. I think if something like that had happened to me last year, like in Melbourne, the rest of the weekend would probably have been very compromised. So, yeah, definitely, when you have one year of experience, one full year in Formula 1, you come back the next year and you just feel better. Things happen a bit more easily, let’s say, also because you’re not forcing them to happen as much. I remember in the first season, many times I would just try to force the result, also the driving, trying to get the lap time out. And this year, I kind of took a step back in that regard and just tried to focus on the important things and enjoy the process as much as possible.
“Not only the driving, but also growing with the team, understanding the regulations and helping the team extract a bit more performance from the car, as well as making the team understand better what I need from the car to help me out and find more performance overall. But definitely, mentally, I’ve been in a much happier place this year compared to last season. And especially when you’ve been working with the same group of people for one year, going into year two is a big difference as well, because you just know each other much better and you know what you need from each other. You also know how to move on together as a team, especially from difficult situations,” Antonelli concluded.
