Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli stated he intends to "just have fun" at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, as he approaches the possibility of securing the Formula 1 World Championship. This weekend's event marks the first time this season that the Italian driver is mathematically capable of sealing the title.
To clinch the championship in Austin, Antonelli needs to win the race while his team-mate George Russell finishes lower than eighth and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton finishes below fourth. Antonelli acknowledged that achieving this requires a perfect weekend alongside unlikely poor results from his competitors, emphasizing his focus on taking things one race at a time with his race engineer Peter Bonnington.
Antonelli has won eight out of 17 races this year and sits 102 points clear of Russell and 111 ahead of Hamilton. If he leaves Austin with a 125-point lead over any other driver, he will become champion and the youngest in Formula 1 history. Several drivers, including Oscar Piastri, Oliver Bearman, Isack Hadjar, and Lewis Hamilton, praised his significant improvement during his second season following a difficult debut year in 2025.
Meanwhile, uncertainties persist regarding the final two grands prix of the season in Qatar and Abu Dhabi due to conflicts in the Middle East and upcoming political shifts, including United States mid-term elections on 3 November 2026. Formula 1 bosses are pressing ahead with plans after receiving safety assurances, though Imola in Italy is being prepared as a potential replacement for Abu Dhabi if conditions worsen. Carlos Sainz, a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, expressed surprise at how convinced the sport's management is that those final races can proceed.
