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Antonelli calls a potential Verstappen title fight 'very, very scary'
Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli admits he is relieved Max Verstappen is too far back in the standings to mount a late championship charge.
By Lesley Bakker - 2026-10-15T05:06:39.000Z - 3 min read
Andrea Kimi Antonelli has confessed that a title fight involving Max Verstappen would be a terrifying prospect, acknowledging the Red Bull driver's recent run of dominant form. Verstappen strung together a commanding sequence of victories by sweeping the Singapore weekend, following a strong performance in the earlier rounds. The four-time world champion claimed pole position for both the sprint and the main grand prix, converting every opportunity into maximum points.
Despite Verstappen surging back into winning ways, a late championship comeback remains out of reach. The Red Bull driver currently sits fourth in the world championship standings, but a deficit of 119 points to Antonelli puts a serious title challenge mathematically beyond him for this campaign. Even so, his formidable return to form has not gone unnoticed by the championship leader.
When asked by Sky Sports F1 whether he was glad Verstappen was so distant in the points table, Antonelli offered a candid and lighthearted admission. Yes, because it would be very scary, Antonelli responded with a laugh, emphasizing that facing the Dutchman in a straight fight for the crown would be very, very scary. The young Italian is instead zeroing in on his own historic milestone, with the chance to clinch his maiden drivers crown at the upcoming United States Grand Prix.
Securing the title in Austin requires specific conditions to align for the twenty year old. To become Formula 1's youngest-ever world champion at the Circuit of the Americas, Antonelli must win the grand prix while his Mercedes teammate George Russell finishes ninth or lower, and Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton finishes fifth or lower. Reflecting on his overall campaign, Antonelli expressed pride in how his squad has navigated recent hurdles.
Overall, Antonelli feels his team is executing at a high level across the calendar. Looking back at the season, he noted that Mercedes has consistently remained competitive at the front. The squad is currently working to fully understand an updated performance package, and Antonelli praised the garage for pushing through recent difficulties to see light at the end of the tunnel. Heading to Austin on a normal weekend format will allow the team to experiment with setups and extract more data from the new components.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff remains measured despite his driver standing on the precipice of glory. Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Wolff acknowledged that statistical probabilities point heavily toward a championship coronation, noting that the mathematical probability of success is virtually absolute. However, motorsport remains unpredictable, with reliability gremlins and on-track collisions capable of altering the landscape and introducing pressure.
For his part, Verstappen is casting aside championship arithmetic for the remainder of the season. The Red Bull driver emphasized that his primary focus is simply enjoying the final six rounds of the year and continuing the positive momentum within the team. Having found renewed performance, Verstappen praised the motivation inside the garage and expressed eagerness to deliver further strong results as the season draws to a close.