This moment at the 2026 Sao Paulo GP really shows why Kimi Antonelli is the champion.
Mercedes clinched the 2026 F1 Constructors’ title at the Sao Paulo GP, proving once again they were the best team this season. In Brazil, the German team just had to beat Ferrari by three points—and they did with ease.
After the race, some tense moments unfolded between Kimi Antonelli and his engineers in the Mercedes garage. These showed exactly why Mercedes has been so successful this year, winning both titles.
George Russell and Kimi Antonelli finished fourth and fifth in the race. This solid result was just enough to keep them ahead of Ferrari and secure the championship. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished seventh and ninth, confirming Mercedes’ win.
Even though the team celebrated with champagne, Kimi Antonelli wasn’t happy. He had taken the lead early by passing Lando Norris but lost it after the first pit stops. Kimi struggled with the car’s balance, even spinning off once before getting back on track and recovering.
Sky’s Karun Chandhok pointed out that Antonelli immediately wanted to understand what went wrong. While the team was celebrating, Kimi was serious, analyzing data and talking closely with engineer Peter Bonnington and performance engineer Stephane Folio. It showed how competitive he is, always pushing to improve, even after becoming world champion.
He’s the youngest-ever F1 champion, winning the title last week in Mexico at just 20 years and 68 days old—a record beating Sebastian Vettel’s from 2010.
After the race, Kimi said, “We need to check the rear geometry of the car because I had trouble in the left corners. Especially at high speed, the rear felt unstable. Even coming into the finish line in the left kink, the rear was really loose, which was strange.”
He added, “When I spun, the tires got flat-spotted on all four wheels. We only got the pace back after switching to my second set of tires. It was a shame, but we fought hard.”