'It would be a dream' – Antonelli targets 'perfect weekend' in Austin to claim maiden F1 title

Kimi Antonelli admits that claiming his maiden Formula 1 title this weekend in the United States Grand Prix "would be a dream", but that he will need a "perfect weekend" in order to achieve the feat.

The Mercedes driver stands on the cusp of the title in Austin after a stunning sophomore season, which has so far produced eight wins and a further six podiums across 17 Grands Prix.

Antonelli will need to take victory in Sunday's Grand Prix and hope that team mate and nearest rival George Russell finishes no higher than ninth, while the likes of Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull's Max Verstappen would also need to finish down the order.

"It's crazy if you think about it, but that's why I won't think about it," said Antonelli on Thursday's media day when asked how he was approaching the weekend.

"For me [it] needs to be a perfect weekend and the others, they need to do a poor result, which is unlikely to happen. Of course, anything can happen and it's crazy to think about it.

"We had a meeting with [race engineer] Bono this morning and we just said 'just have fun' and always the same mindset that I had all year.

"One race at a time and just try to do the best I can every race weekend and then we'll see. But of course if I do things well, then the result will come."

Antonelli would beat Sebastian Vettel's record from 2010 as the youngest driver to claim a maiden F1 title at the age of 20 if he achieves the feat this season.

During Thursday's press conference, Hamilton praised Antonelli on his season having worked with the Italian briefly during his final campaign with Mercedes in 2024 and ahead of Antonelli's F1 arrival.

When asked what it would be like to follow in the footsteps of a seven-time World Champion, Antonelli replied: "It would be a dream. It's something I've dreamt of since I was little.

"Firstly, to find myself in such a position is incredible but at the same time, I need to keep going and pushing.

"It's not over yet. First we'll try to finish the job properly and then we can enjoy the rest but for sure will be an incredible achievement. But there's still a bit to go."