What was the standout moment for Kimi Antonelli during his championship-winning F1 season? Our team shares their perspectives.

Canadian GP - Antonelli's real statement performance – Ewan Gale

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, George Russell, Mercedes

By the time F1 arrived at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Antonelli had already demonstrated several traits essential for success.

However, this marked the first genuine battle we witnessed between the Italian and a rival that truly mattered. Contending for the lead with Russell throughout the initial part of the race, it became clear that Antonelli was not going to be an easy opponent for his more seasoned teammate in the title chase.

Let's not kid ourselves that it was flawless racecraft - far from it. Both drivers veered off track and narrowly avoided colliding - significantly averting what would have undoubtedly caused an irate Toto Wolff.

Antonelli seized the lead from the start in damp conditions and initially repelled Russell's advances, only for the Brit to take the lead on lap six, nearly being forced off-track by the #12 as the trailing Mercedes locked up at the final chicane.

What was impressive was that Antonelli quickly moved past that setback and maintained his attack. He didn’t retreat after a substantial error that could have ended disastrously; it was a true display of the determination and enthusiasm we’ve come to admire in him.

This was best exemplified by an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to dive inside at Turn 1 on lap 13 as the regulation set’s yo-yo racing dynamics came into play. Side-by-side into the last chicane on lap 24, inches - perhaps mere centimeters - from contact, Antonelli remained in the fight for as long as he could before backing out, later expressing his frustration on team radio, reminiscent of four-time champion Max Verstappen.

The battle concluded prematurely when Russell experienced a mechanical failure on lap 30 while still in the lead, and whether he would have triumphed had his teammate remained in the race is uncertain - echoing how Nico Rosberg challenged Lewis Hamilton in 2016 - Antonelli made his intentions clear; 'I can compete head-to-head with Russell.'

His most flawless performance of the championship? Far from it. But the message he conveyed to teammate Russell and the viewers resonated loudly.

Monaco magic displayed Antonelli's ability to balance aggression with precision – Stuart Codling

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Toto Wolff, Mercedes

Since his first appearance in FP1 at Monza in 2024, Antonelli has been one of the most thrilling drivers to observe. Often, one could argue that he has leaned towards a frenetic style, continually on the edge and sometimes beyond it.

In the year he became the first Italian world champion since Alberto Ascari, Antonelli revealed another facet of his skill that brought him closer to his predecessor. In an era of flexing chassis suspended on leaf springs and using narrow tyres, Ascari was a symbol of consistency. Time after time, he would trace the same line through each corner with unblemished finesse.

Monaco, a circuit where pushing the limits with barriers can lead to swift elimination, was where Antonelli notably elevated his performance. On a weekend when Ferrari was anticipated to dominate, Antonelli secured pole position and raced to his fifth consecutive victory while being constantly pressured from behind.

“We were taken aback by that speed ourselves,” Wolff remarked after the race. “The laps he was clocking, the times, were two seconds quicker than the McLarens and a solid second faster than Ferrari. And it was seamless. Why that was on a track we wouldn’t have deemed our strengths before the weekend, I can’t say.”

The Spa weekend where Antonelli halted any momentum Russell was building – Ed Hardy

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

During the early stages of the 2026 season, even amidst Antonelli's winning streak, I remained convinced that George Russell would become the world champion. I found it difficult to accept that Antonelli had truly overcome such a significant deficit between them - 169 points in 2025 - in just one winter, and I believed that when confronted with challenges, the Italian's inexperience would become apparent.

Those uncertainties were dispelled in Belgium: arguably the first time he arrived at a Grand Prix this year at a disadvantage. In two of the previous three races - Austria and Britain - Antonelli had experienced non-scores due to mechanical issues, while Russell had achieved a win and two second-place finishes, narrowing the gap to 25 points.

The Briton had the momentum, and with 14 rounds remaining, his deficit was hardly significant. Just look at last season, when late on, Oscar Piastri managed to close a larger gap of 34 points at the moment he lost momentum to Lando Norris.

However, in Belgium, Antonelli remained composed and reinstated order. He led in two of three practice sessions, secured pole position, and overcame an untimely VSC by overtaking temporary leader Charles Leclerc for the win.

As for Russell, he qualified five tenths behind Antonelli in fifth and retired after a first-lap collision with Hamilton's Ferrari. His gap to his Mercedes teammate increased to 50 points, and from that point, it became increasingly clear where the championship was headed.

It’s not about how one falls, but how they rise again, and Antonelli executed that flawlessly at Spa. A truly champion-like weekend.

Monza: A recovery for the ages – Ben Vinel

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Among Antonelli's remarkable performances in 2026, this was likely the most impressive.

The odds were certainly not in his favor. Norris had piloted the enhanced McLaren to triumph in the last two races; meanwhile, Mercedes opted to equip Antonelli with a new power unit for his home event, enduring the consequences of starting from the back of the grid at Monza, a circuit where overtaking is theoretically easier than most places.

Antonelli managed to qualify in seventh as Pierre Gasly unexpectedly took pole position, but this was largely due to the Italian helping his teammate Russell with a tow in Q3, as his own result was inconsequential given the grid penalty he faced.

Within the first two laps of the race, Antonelli advanced to 12th place, only for the race to be halted due to Leclerc’s high-speed collision; he gained four additional spots at the restart and then overtook Arvid Lindblad and Norris on the following lap.

His subsequent passes on Gasly, Hamilton, and Piastri saw Antonelli closing in on Verstappen and Russell by lap 15. He swiftly overtook them both, seizing the lead at Turn 1 on lap 18.

Russell provided a strong challenge thereafter with a spectacular duel, but the race was interrupted by the virtual safety car on lap 28. Antonelli, on medium tires, pitted for another set of the yellow-walled compound while Russell, on hard tires, opted to stay out.

Antonelli re-entered the track 14 seconds behind his teammate; he again maneuvered past Gasly, Norris, Hamilton, and Piastri, catching up to the other Silver Arrow with six laps to go. A brief excursion through the gravel during a wheel-to-wheel battle only slightly delayed the 20-year-old’s victory, and he clinched the win from 19th on the grid – a feat only surpassed by John Watson, who won the 1983 United States Grand Prix West from 22nd. Antonelli's fastest lap was seven tenths quicker than anyone else’s.

“After the second restart, I was up there and I knew I had a shot at the win,” he stated. “So, I definitely believed in it, especially when I was behind George.

“But it was really challenging to break away because the tow was so strong. In the end, we pitted and he stayed out, and he struggled a bit with his tires, while with fresher tires, I was able to increase the pace and, yeah, managed to win.”

Was this the finest race of his career? “The best one is yet to come, but I feel like, yeah, it was one of the best races I’ve done so far, and one that I will remember forever.”

Bouncing Baku: Antonelli fell in Azerbaijan, but quickly rose again – Jake Boxall-Legge

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team, Carlos Sainz, Williams

Choosing the race where Antonelli made his own life significantly tougher might seem like an unusual decision without context. However, context is always essential.

When he grazed the inside wall at Turn 1 during the initial phase of qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Antonelli had already secured a place in Q2 – but no further, as Mercedes recognized that the damage could not be fixed in time. He was destined to start in 16th place, drawing clear parallels to the disastrous weekend Piastri experienced the previous year. That race is widely considered a pivotal moment in the championship, as Piastri unceremoniously eliminated himself from qualifying and subsequently from the race on the first lap.

However, Antonelli was not inclined to entertain such comparisons. He understood that the Baku weekend was about limiting the damage to his championship lead, especially since Russell had discovered a rich vein of performance and was on track to win the grand prix. To minimize Russell's haul of points, Antonelli needed to remain in the race and chose to drive conservatively and maintain ample margin in the early laps. After that, he could rely on the Mercedes chassis to help navigate through the field. He even lost a position at the start, but unlike Piastri's self-destruction in 2025, he stayed in the race.

With caution, Antonelli executed a string of precise overtakes on the midfield drivers to progress into the top 10, and the safety car caused by Alex Albon in the latter half of the race offered him a chance to close up to the rest of the pack and reclaim further points. His efforts were bolstered by the restart chaos instigated by Franco Colapinto, which cleared Norris and Gasly from his path; Hamilton then fell victim to Antonelli just a few laps after the restart.

It was a textbook example of damage limitation, aided admittedly by the misfortunes of drivers ahead, but Antonelli could easily have been caught up in an incident during the 50-lap tour around the Baku streets. The fact that he didn’t and ultimately limited Russell to only a 15-point gain, which could have been a disastrous weekend, ensured Antonelli managed to extricate himself from a precarious position.

F1’s new star showcased his true mettle in the Lone Star State – Ronald Vording

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

While his remarkable comeback at Monza was the standout performance of the year – one of those occasions when simply being at the venue felt extraordinary – the US GP was arguably his most impressive race.

In Austin, the entire media day centered around a singular theme: the potential of clinching the world title in the Lone Star State. Admittedly, it was far from the high-stakes drama of Abu Dhabi 2021, and yes, Antonelli's substantial lead alleviated much of the pressure, but there was still weight on the shoulders of a 20-year-old in just his second F1 season.

It would have been easy for him to lose his composure during the weekend of his first title opportunity, and given his significant lead, there would have been minimal repercussions. However, the fact that Antonelli delivered his best performance precisely on that weekend speaks volumes about his character.

To be specific, Sunday in Austin was illuminating for three key reasons. The first moment occurred on the grid. This writer spent some time near Antonelli's Mercedes W17. The world champion-in-waiting looked up at the large screens, recognized himself and some of his supporters, and smiled while waving back. This reflects his youthful enthusiasm, and as Verstappen rightly noted in Mexico, perhaps his greatest attribute is remaining friendly and playful despite the success and pressure. Let's hope that quality never fades.

The second revealing aspect of Austin is even more crucial: his raw performance, showcasing how Antonelli excelled on track. Despite the pressure and potential nerves surrounding his impending world title, the Italian performed flawlessly. In fact, on the slightly uphill grid at the Circuit of the Americas, the young driver arguably made his best start of the season. His pace following that was equally notable, and he had made it his personal mission to avoid a single-track limits violation, which he successfully accomplished apart from one minor incident involving Carlos Sainz.

The overall outcome resulted in his most comprehensive and mature F1 race to date, occurring on the very weekend of his first chance to secure the title. This reflects his capabilities, but that leads to the third point: Antonelli declined to take credit for himself. When I inquired during the post-race press conference about how he manages the pressure, Antonelli did what he always does: instead of pointing to his own achievements, he credited his father, his family, and those around him at Mercedes.

This humility is commendable, but Austin made it clear: Antonelli truly deserves much more recognition than he was willing to accept. While modesty is a valuable trait, he doesn’t need to vocalize it. We’ll do that for him.

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes