AUSTIN – Kimi Antonelli came to Austin for this weekend’s United States Grand Prix with a mathematical chance to win his first Drivers’ Championship.
While the maths calls for both a “perfect” weekend from the garage and something “catastrophic” happening around it, the young Mercedes driver admitted on Thursday that his chances of just winning the title here at the US Grand Prix are “unbelievable” and will fall in Lewis Hamilton’s footsteps.
“I mean, it would be a dream. You know, it’s something I’ve dreamed about since I was little,” Antonelli described Thursday at the FIA press conference at the Circuit of the Americas. “And you know, first of all, it’s incredible to actually find myself in this situation.
“But at the same time, you know, I’ve got to keep going, keep pushing, and it’s not over yet. So we’re going to try to get the job done right and enjoy the rest of it. But it’s definitely going to be an incredible accomplishment.”
Antonelli leads Mercedes team-mate George Russell by 102 points with his replacement Hamilton at Mercedes – 111 points behind Antonelli in third. To clinch the title in Austin, Antonelli not only needs to win the United States Grand Prix, but Russell needs to finish ninth or lower and Hamilton fifth or lower.
His strong season means Antonelli has a chance to hold up his end of the bargain.
But it is the foundation of his years on small formulas that make this moment possible.
1:50 “I mean, Formula 1 is different because you have the pressure, it’s just, you know, it’s a lot bigger than anything else in Formula 1. But at the same time, yeah, the pressure is a little bit more. Also, you know, the competition is high because you’re competing with 21 of the best drivers in the world,” Antonelli described about his previous battles. “So it’s definitely a bit more complicated in that respect. But I think when you’re fighting for a championship in karting and junior series, you definitely know, the mentality is very similar to the way you approach the races and the way you think.
“So it certainly helps, you know I’ve already been able to challenge for the championship from karting and that prepares you to face a certain situation as well.”
Another thing that puts Antonelli on the brink of a title is his growth as a driver, especially in the mental side of the sport. After some difficult moments during his rookie campaign, Antonelli bounced back from a major crash in the final practice session ahead of this year’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix to produce a strong qualifying performance, then take P2 to start the year.
The young driver talked Thursday about that moment and his growth from his rookie year to this season.
“I think if something like that had happened to me like it did in Melbourne last year, the rest of the weekend would probably have been a lot more compromised. So, yes, definitely, when you have a year’s experience, a full year in Formula 1, you come back next year and feel better,” said Antonelli. “Things happen a little bit easier, let’s say, also because you don’t force them to happen as much. I remember in the first season I would try to beat the result, the driving, the lap time many times.
“And this year I took a bit of a step back from that and just tried to focus on the important things and enjoy the process as much as possible. Not just driving, but growing with the team, understanding the rules and helping the team get a little more performance out of the car, and also helping the team understand better what I need from the car to help me and find more performance overall.
“But I’m definitely in a happier place mentally this year than I was last season. Especially when you’ve been with the same group of people for a year, it’s a big difference going into your sophomore year because you just know each other better and know what you need from each other. You also know how to come together as a team, especially through tough situations.”
Started in a happier place than last season with Antonelli.
And he’s about to end it in a very, very happy place.
And with a big trophy.