Kimi Antonelli’s extraordinary 2026 Formula 1 season is winning admirers far beyond the paddock, with José Mourinho becoming the latest high-profile figure to be impressed by the 20-year-old Mercedes driver. Jean Alesi has revealed that the Real Madrid coach repeatedly expressed his amazement while the pair watched the Spanish Grand Prix together in Madrid.
Against almost every pre-season prediction, Andrea Kimi Antonelli is already moving closer to a remarkable first Formula 1 world title in only his second season. His latest victory at the Madring strengthened a championship advantage that is becoming increasingly difficult for George Russell, Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris to overturn.
Kimi Antonelli closes in on remarkable 2026 F1 title
Monza was supposed to be a weekend of damage limitation for Andrea Kimi Antonelli after a grid penalty for fitting a new power unit. Instead, the Italian produced his seventh victory of the season before immediately following it with an eighth win in Madrid.
The Spanish Grand Prix victory came after a decisive Virtual Safety Car sequence, with Mercedes also executing a crucial tactical move that helped Antonelli protect his position. The details behind that success are explored in GP-News’ analysis of the two-second Mercedes call that helped Antonelli win in Madrid.
His rivals are struggling to match that relentless scoring rate. Antonelli now holds an 81-point advantage over Mercedes team-mate George Russell, with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton 101 points behind and Lando Norris 106 adrift. The updated gaps can be followed in the 2026 Formula 1 drivers’ standings.
Lando Norris may represent the most serious threat to Antonelli over individual race weekends during the final part of the season, particularly after McLaren demonstrated strong pace in Madrid. But Antonelli has already built an advantage equivalent to more than four Grand Prix victories, leaving his rivals with an enormous amount of ground to recover.
José Mourinho amazed by Kimi Antonelli in Madrid
Antonelli’s performances have also captured the attention of José Mourinho, a major Formula 1 enthusiast who was a particularly fitting guest at the Madrid weekend after returning to Real Madrid as head coach.
Jean Alesi watched the race alongside Mourinho and revealed the Portuguese manager’s reaction in his regular Tuesday column for Corriere della Sera.
“I watched the race with José Mourinho,” Jean Alesi said. “He kept repeating, ‘I’ve never seen a kid like this.’ Coming from a coach who has worked with so many phenomenal talents, that seems like an extremely authoritative verdict to me.”
Mourinho had already expressed his admiration for the Mercedes youngster during the Spanish Grand Prix weekend, describing what Antonelli was achieving in Formula 1 as extraordinary.
Antonelli’s title advantage continues to grow
The scale of Antonelli’s breakthrough is particularly striking because he is still only 20 and competing in his second Formula 1 season. Yet the Mercedes driver is no longer simply being discussed as one of the sport’s most exciting young talents: he is now the clear championship leader and the driver everyone else is chasing.
McLaren’s growing competitiveness could make the remaining races more difficult, and Norris showed in Madrid that Antonelli will not necessarily have the fastest car every weekend. However, the Mercedes driver continues to convert opportunities into victories and major points hauls even when circumstances are less straightforward.
That consistency has become the defining feature of his championship campaign. With eight victories already secured, Antonelli has transformed what initially looked like an unexpected title challenge into a commanding position at the top of the standings.
And if Jean Alesi’s account is any indication, the 20-year-old is now impressing not only the Formula 1 paddock but elite figures from completely different sporting worlds as well.
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