Kimi Antonelli plans to ‘just have fun’ as F1 title comes within reach in Austin
The Mercedes driver says he will keep his one-race-at-a-time approach at the United States Grand Prix, where a win and poor results for his closest rivals could secure the championship.
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli said in Austin on Thursday, 22 October, that he plans to ‘just have fun’ at the United States Grand Prix, his first chance this season to secure the Formula 1 world championship. He said he would keep the one-race-at-a-time approach he has followed all year, even as a title-clinching result becomes mathematically possible this weekend.
The Italian told BBC Sport that becoming champion in Austin would require a perfect weekend for him and poor results for his rivals. ‘Something catastrophic to others needs to happen,’ he said, describing that combination as unlikely. Antonelli said a morning meeting with race engineer Peter Bonnington had reinforced the message to enjoy the weekend. He also said he still needed to keep pushing because the title was not settled.
What Antonelli needs to clinch the title in Austin
Antonelli must win the United States Grand Prix, with Mercedes teammate George Russell finishing ninth or lower and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton fifth or lower, according to both BBC Sport and The National. The conditions make the championship possible in Austin, but leave it dependent on three drivers’ race results rather than Antonelli’s performance alone.
The National puts Antonelli on 340 points, 102 ahead of Russell, after eight wins in 17 races. Six grands prix remain, with up to 150 points available to a driver across them. An Austin victory would take Antonelli to 365 points and nine wins; even if Russell then won each of the five remaining races and drew level on points, Antonelli would take the title on the race-wins tiebreak, The National reported.
The National says that if Antonelli finishes second or lower in Austin, his next chance to secure the championship would come at the Mexico City Grand Prix on 1 November. For now, Russell remains his nearest challenger, while Hamilton is also still mathematically in contention. Antonelli’s comments in Austin add his own account of how he intends to approach the weekend to NewsJaws’ earlier explanation of the title arithmetic.
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Sources and context
- United States Grand Prix: Kimi Antonelli intends to 'have fun' as he stands on brink of titleBBC Sport
- F1 title race explained: What Kimi Antonelli needs to become champion at the United States Grand PrixThe National
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.