Kimi Antonelli is now dreaming of the 2026 Formula 1 world championship. After numerous rumors that have emerged in recent weeks, suggesting that Mercedes could be the car to beat next season, Antonelli has also shared his view on the current situation. The young Italian is coming off a solid first season, marked by ups and downs, which is entirely normal for an 18-year-old rookie entering the pinnacle of motorsport.
Especially in the latter part of the season, Kimi Antonelli showed that he can compete at the level of his rivals, something even Max Verstappen believes. On several occasions, he managed to put pressure on his far more experienced teammate George Russell, demonstrating growing confidence and maturity behind the wheel. Looking ahead to 2026, a season defined by a major regulatory overhaul, Kimi Antonelli appears to have all the credentials needed to fight at the front.
Much will obviously depend on the car Mercedes delivers, but on that front Antonelli seems to have a very clear idea of what to expect. The sense within the team is that the Brackley-based squad could be in a strong position when the new era begins.
“I dream of a 2014 repeat”
Mercedes appears to be ahead of the competition in its 2026 project, and Kimi Antonelli’s words to PlanetF1 confirm the sense of anticipation surrounding the team from Stuttgart. “It would be a dream to have everything like in 2014,” Antonelli said, “but at the moment I don’t have confirmation.”
When discussing the upcoming regulation changes and comparing them to those introduced in 2014, Kimi Antonelli offered his own perspective: “I think these regulation changes are even bigger than those in 2014, including on the chassis and aerodynamics side.”
Speaking about the work he has been doing during the winter break, Kimi Antonelli added: “I’ve spent a lot of time at the factory, where I’ve seen progress in the wind tunnel and on the test bench. It looks promising, but we don’t know where the others are.”
As always in Formula 1, the real answers will only come once the car hits the track. Antonelli acknowledged this as well: “When it comes to real performance, we’ll have to wait until Melbourne. But looking at what the team has done in the past, it would be a dream to find ourselves in the same situation and be able to fight for a world championship.”
Such a scenario would be historic for Italy. An Italian driver has not won the Formula 1 world championship since 1953, and it has been 20 years since an Italian last won a Grand Prix. In that sense, Kimi Antonelli could truly make history in the 2026 Formula 1 season.
As Kimi Antonelli prepares for the 2026 technical revolution, his confidence in Mercedes’ development suggests the team is aiming to recapture the dominant form that defined the start of the original hybrid era.
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