Kimi Antonelli pulled off a sensational victory from 19th at the Italian Grand Prix, but Formula 1’s champion-elect reckons his dominant performance from pole in Austin was even better.
The Mercedes driver was forced into a back row start at Monza in September due to a change of power unit, yet the rapid Italian still scythed through the field to take victory.
That gave Antonelli his seventh win of a dominant 2026 campaign, with his eighth coming at the next race in Madrid before waiting until October to take his ninth at Circuit of the Americas.
His win on Sunday was much different to Monza as he started from pole and nailed a one-stop strategy, other frontrunners opted for two, to win by 13s ahead of runner-up Charles Leclerc.
“Monza, we clearly had the fastest car,” reacted Antonelli. “We were just super quick, so of course it was incredibly special coming from the back.
“But it was also a track where it was relatively easy to overtake and we were so quick. Definitely, Monza was a super special one, and one that I will remember forever.
“But this one probably, in terms of execution, was better, because the way we built up and the way we built the performance throughout the weekend was very good.”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, George Russell, Mercedes at Monza
It leaves Antonelli with a 123-point advantage over team-mate George Russell in second, meaning he needs just two points in Mexico next weekend to claim a maiden title.
He would do so with four rounds remaining in what has been a thrilling campaign from the sophomore, whose stablemate headed into the new regulations as title favourite.
“Well, for sure, it's been a good surprise, this season so far,” added Antonelli. “Of course, it's still not over. There are still a few races where I just want to do well and still try to fight for wins.
“It would be good to finish on a high. But, yeah, definitely looking back at the season, there are still things to work on and improve, on the mindset in certain situations or the way I handle a few scenarios.
“So, for sure, at the end of the season, I will have more time to look back at things: what went well, what could have been better.
“But definitely, it's been a very consistent season so far, and we'll try to keep it that way until the end.”
The step Antonelli made from year one into year two was therefore huge and the way he approached the Austin weekend was a clear demonstration of his improvement.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
It was his first chance of clinching the title and instead of being flustered by the opportunity, Antonelli just approached the race as normal to set up a great chance in Mexico.
“I'm very lucky because I have a very good group of people around me,” he said. “In the team, I have my father, who always comes, then my performance coach.
“I just have a great group of people around me that help me to be more relaxed and not worry about these kinds of things.
“They help me to block out the noise, and that's also what's been allowing me to enjoy the weekend and perform.
“I think, obviously, there's been a lot of talk. I'm not going to lie, on Thursday there was a lot of talk about the championship and stuff, and I just tried not to worry about that at all and just tried to deliver the best result I could.
“Today was a very important result for me and for the team.”
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