Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes/5th): Astonishing statement on a possible World Championship title

It’s been a rocky start to the weekend: 19-year-old F1 championship leader Kimi Antonelli had to coast to a halt in his Mercedes due to a hydraulic fault; smoke billowed from the car, and it remains unclear what impact this will have on the rest of the Grand Prix weekend.

Officially, Formula 1 has nine more Grand Prix weekends left in the 2026 season, from Baku to the supposed finale in Abu Dhabi. Ahead of the first practice session at the Baku City Circuit, Antonelli, who hails from Bologna, spoke about his approach to the final stage of the World Championship.

Kimi takes a very pragmatic view: “Certainly, the lead is substantial, but the World Championship remains open as long as others still have a mathematical chance. I see it a bit like in tennis – there you have to concentrate on point by point; for me, it’s simply race by race.”

“I have to keep achieving the best possible result in every Grand Prix – ideally, of course, in the form of podium finishes and victories – and then we’ll see where that takes me.”

“Of course, I can’t say I never think about the title. But I don’t want to let it distract me either. The best approach for me is to put that to one side for a bit and carry on exactly as I have been.”

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“The results have shown that the competition isn’t resting on its laurels; McLaren and Lando Norris, in particular, have made up ground. You can never write off Max Verstappen anyway. And then there’s Ferrari, who’ll be lightning fast on certain tracks.”