Kimi Antonelli produced a stunning victory from 19th on the grid at the Italian Grand Prix, yet the Mercedes driver believes his commanding performance from pole position in Austin represented an even higher level of execution.
The Italian was demoted to the back row at Monza in September following a power-unit change, but carved through the field to claim his seventh victory of a dominant 2026 campaign. An eighth win followed in Madrid before a ninth arrived at the Circuit of the Americas in October.
Sunday’s triumph contrasted sharply with Monza. Starting from pole, Antonelli executed a flawless one-stop strategy while his principal rivals opted for two stops, crossing the line 13 seconds clear of runner-up Charles Leclerc.
“At Monza, we clearly had the fastest car,” Antonelli reflected. “We were simply very quick, so coming from the back was incredibly special. It was also a circuit where overtaking was relatively straightforward given our pace advantage. Monza was a super special weekend, one I will remember forever.
“But this one, in terms of execution, was probably better. The way we built up performance throughout the weekend and managed the race was very strong.”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, George Russell, Mercedes at Monza
Photo by: Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images
The victory extends Antonelli’s championship lead to 123 points over team-mate George Russell, meaning he requires just two points in Mexico next weekend to secure his maiden title with four rounds remaining. The achievement is all the more remarkable given Russell entered the new regulatory era as the pre-season favourite.
“It’s been a good surprise, this season so far,” Antonelli admitted. “Of course, it’s not over yet. There are still races where I want to perform well and fight for wins. It would be good to finish on a high.
“Looking back, there are still areas to improve — my mindset in certain situations, how I handle specific scenarios. At the end of the year I’ll have more time to reflect on what went well and what could be better. But it’s been a very consistent season, and we’ll aim to maintain that until the end.”
The leap from his rookie campaign to his sophomore year has been substantial, and the Austin weekend served as a clear demonstration of that growth. Facing his first genuine championship match point, Antonelli remained composed, treating the event as routine to position himself perfectly for Mexico.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Photo by: Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images
“I’m very fortunate to have a strong support network around me,” he said. “Within the team, my father attends every race, and I have my performance coach. That group helps me stay relaxed and not dwell on the magnitude of the situation.
“They help me block out the noise, which allows me to enjoy the weekend and perform. There was plenty of championship talk on Thursday, but I made a conscious effort not to engage with it and simply focus on delivering the best result possible.
“Today was a very important result for me and for the team.”
