Italian driver Kimi Antonelli clarified that he is still at the beginning of his career as he prepares to become the youngest Formula 1 world champion, aiming to secure the title in the best possible way in Mexico City at the beginning of next week.
The 20-year-old Mercedes driver, who is in only his second season, holds a 123-point advantage over his teammate and closest rival George Russell, with a maximum of 100 points remaining available after the Mexico race. Antonelli needs only two points next Sunday, meaning a ninth-place finish, to become the first Italian champion in 73 years, even if Russell wins the race.
For his part, Antonelli told Reuters during the United States Grand Prix, where he achieved his ninth victory of the season: "It would be incredibly wonderful to clinch the title and become the Italian champion, but of course, this should just be the beginning, as you know. We will focus on securing it in the best way possible, because it would be good to finish well, and then we will continue working and strive to deliver better performances and achieve more successes in the coming years."
The young driver, born in Bologna, added that he wants his father, Marco, who participates in sports car racing and regularly attends in the garage, to experience some of what he has lived on the track once things settle down. He pointed out that his father has never driven a Formula 1 car, which is another thing he wants for him, but he must ask Mercedes for that.
The Italian driver, who only obtained his driving license last year, recalled memories: "When I was young, and even before everything started, 'Marco' did not want me to race because this sport can be too harsh at times. I will always be extremely grateful to Mercedes because they bet on me when I was very young. Essentially, without them, I would not be here today, as they supported me all the way from karting until now."
Antonelli's first participation in testing at Monza in 2024 was a harsh test, as he suffered an accident in front of his home crowd, while last year was full of ups and downs, during which he made mistakes and tested the limits of his abilities. He said the mistakes this year, under the new rules and a different racing style. Despite Russell's significant superiority over Antonelli in 2025, and the British driver entering this year as the favorite for the title, Antonelli turned expectations upside down by achieving five consecutive victories from China to Monaco.
Antonelli won on both fast and slow circuits, standing out for his calmness and natural enjoyment of racing, as well as for being a leader of a new generation.
Source: Arriyadiyah newspaper
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