How Kimi Antonelli Can Win the F1 Championship at the Mexico City GP
In theory, it should be pretty easy for Kimi Antonelli to win the 2026 F1 world championship this weekend. But in grand prix racing, anything can happen. The Italian driver is simply focused on getting the best possible result in Mexico and making history along the way.
Antonelli, driving for Mercedes, has been amazing this year, leaving his rivals far behind. He could even clinch the title with four races left and become the youngest champion ever in the sport’s history. While his experienced teammate George Russell was expected to fight for the title, it’s Antonelli who has dominated.
With nine race wins and great consistency all season, Antonelli has built a huge lead. Now, if he finishes ninth or better in Mexico, the championship is his. If he pulls it off, he’ll be the youngest world champion ever at just 20 years and 68 days old, beating Sebastian Vettel’s record by over three years.
The chances for others to catch him are very slim. Even if Antonelli doesn’t finish or scores no points, Russell or Lewis Hamilton—the only other drivers still able to win—must win the race to stay in the fight.
Despite having the title almost in the bag, Antonelli isn’t planning to take it easy in Mexico. “It would be best to finish well on a high, and that’s the goal,” he said before the weekend. “But I’m just going to try to enjoy the rest of the season.”
Antonelli’s dominance this year has been truly remarkable. No other driver has been able to challenge him regularly. On the other hand, his teammate Russell has had a tough time, often finding himself further back in the race despite having a strong car.
Because of this gap, Russell says it’s hard for a rivalry to form between them. “On a personal level, Kimi is a great guy with lots of energy,” Russell said in Mexico. “We’ve had no reason this year not to keep a good relationship. Most rivalries start from on-track incidents, and that hasn’t really happened.”
He added, “He’s been a step ahead this year, so we haven’t really been in direct battles very often. When we do race, we focus on our own work with our engineers to get the best out of the car.”
Antonelli seems to be perfectly in tune with his Mercedes W17, while Russell is still trying to find his rhythm with the car. He also shared what’s been holding him back. “I tend to focus on the middle to the end of corners, often getting on the throttle earlier. With these new power units having bigger electric motors, that sometimes uses more energy and isn’t the most efficient way to drive.”
He continued, “Also, tyre pressures, especially on the rear, have been very high this year. Pirelli sets pressure margins, and that’s made it harder by pushing the tyre’s limits, causing more heat and faster wear.”
With the championship within reach, all eyes will be on Antonelli this weekend to see if he can make history in Mexico!