Kimi Antonelli is on the verge of becoming the 2026 Formula 1 World Champion after winning the United States Grand Prix at Austin, with Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff celebrating the culmination of a nine-year journey that began in karting. The 20-year-old Italian can now secure his first World Championship at the next race in Mexico, where even a ninth-place finish would be enough to guarantee the title.
For Toto Wolff, Kimi Antonelli’s victory at the Circuit of the Americas represents far more than another race win. It is another successful investment in young talent by the Mercedes driver development programme, with the Austrian manager having supported the Italian’s progression through the junior categories and into Formula 1.
Toto Wolff praises Kimi Antonelli’s champion-like performance at Austin
Speaking to Sky Sport after the United States Grand Prix, Toto Wolff praised the maturity and control displayed by Kimi Antonelli throughout the race, highlighting the Mercedes driver’s exceptional start despite running a tyre compound that was theoretically less competitive off the line than those used by his rivals.
“Antonelli controlled the entire race like a champion, and at the start he made an incredible getaway despite having a compound that, on paper, was less effective off the line than those of his rivals,” Toto Wolff explained.
The victory demonstrated Kimi Antonelli’s ability to manage the pressure of fighting at the front while continuing to deliver the performances that have brought him to the brink of the championship. For Mercedes, it was another demonstration of the potential that Toto Wolff and the team’s development programme identified in the Italian long before his arrival in Formula 1.
Kimi Antonelli can clinch the 2026 F1 World Championship with P9 in Mexico
Following his victory at Austin, Kimi Antonelli heads to the Mexico City Grand Prix with a commanding advantage in the Drivers’ Championship. The Italian now has the opportunity to secure his maiden Formula 1 title without needing another victory or podium finish.
A ninth-place finish in Mexico would be sufficient to guarantee the championship, underlining the strength of the advantage Kimi Antonelli has built over his closest rivals during the 2026 season.
The prospect of sealing the title at such a young age makes the next Grand Prix particularly significant for the Mercedes driver, whose rise through the motorsport ranks has been closely followed by Toto Wolff.
Toto Wolff reflects on nine years of work with Kimi Antonelli
For the Mercedes team principal, the potential championship triumph would mark the completion of a project that began nine years ago, when Kimi Antonelli was still competing in karting.
“In Mexico with tequila or in Brazil with a mojito, we’ll crown nine years of work that began in karting,” Toto Wolff said.
The Austrian also recalled the doubts that surrounded Kimi Antonelli during his development, particularly when his Formula 2 performances were questioned by critics who believed his season had not been sufficiently impressive.
“Antonelli was criticised in F2 because, according to the critics, he hadn’t had a sufficiently impressive season, and there were some difficult moments last year as well. I’m happy for him and for the whole team,” Toto Wolff added.
Those criticisms now provide a striking contrast with the position in which Kimi Antonelli finds himself. Having progressed through the Mercedes academy and overcome difficult periods during his development, the Italian is just one step away from becoming a Formula 1 World Champion.
Whether the celebrations take place in Mexico or Brazil, Toto Wolff is already looking forward to the moment when nine years of work can be rewarded with the sport’s biggest individual prize.
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