Kimi Antonelli nears first world title ahead of Mexico City GP

Kimi Antonelli holds a 123-point lead over Mercedes teammate George Russell heading into the Mexico City Grand Prix. The 20-year-old Italian requires only a top nine finish to secure his first world title and break Sebastian Vettel’s 2010 record as the youngest champion. This mathematical advantage exists with 125 points still available in the championship. Antonelli has secured nine race wins this season, whereas Russell has managed only three victories.

Russell must win the race this weekend to delay the inevitable title loss, especially since a victory by either himself or Lewis Hamilton remains the only way to prevent Antonelli from clinching the championship. If neither Russell nor Hamilton wins the Sunday race, Antonelli becomes champion by default. Russell finished eighth in Austin last week, a race that Antonelli won. Antonelli built a 68-point lead after the Monaco Grand Prix that Russell never recovered.

Russell focuses on consistency

"I’ve probably learned more about myself this year than I would have liked to, in all honesty," Russell said during Thursday’s FIA press conferences in Mexico City. He noted that the highs and lows of sport are immense because drivers care deeply about their work. The 28-year-old Briton pointed to the 41-year-old Lewis Hamilton and the 44-year-old Fernando Alonso as evidence that a single difficult season does not end a career. He stated, "this year is absolutely not going to define my career as a whole. It’s not going to break me. If anything, it’s going to make me stronger." Russell said he still has 12 to 15 years left in him. He has struggled with reliability failures and inconsistent performance throughout the 2026 campaign. He noted that he often performs well after his worst races; he cited his pole position and victory in Baku after an underwhelming race in Madrid where Antonelli won. Russell entered the 2026 season as the title favorite after dominating Antonelli in 2025.

The Mercedes driver also addressed the performance fluctuations of the W17. He explained that a Mercedes upgrade rolled out in Malaysia narrowed the operating window of the car. While Antonelli found the sweet spot in Texas, Russell finished eighth. "We are seeing some things in the characteristics that just show that it performed in a very narrow window," Russell said. He intends to focus on finding consistency in the final five races of the schedule. He noted that he cannot deliver performances like his Baku run if the car does not provide a high hit rate. He mentioned he was on pole by eight tenths in Azerbaijan before winning the race, only to finish eighth the following week.

Wolff defends driver performance

Helmut Marko expressed doubt regarding whether Russell will ever receive number one status or another chance at a world title. Toto Wolff rejected these claims, stating that Russell has the ability but the car does not suit him. Wolff noted that it is difficult to handle a season where a teammate begins to chip away at a lead. He reminded the media that Russell won titles in F2 and F3 and won back-to-back European karting championships. Wolff also pledged to work with the Briton to diagnose why the W17 performance fluctuates so much. He insisted it is not the case that Russell should be half a second slower than Antonelli. The W17 proved to be the best all-rounder this season, but Antonelli utilized its versatility to much greater effect.

Russell admitted that Antonelli has been at a higher level than him this year. He said the two drivers maintain a good relationship and work with individual engineers. Antonelli missed the Thursday media day in Mexico City due to a viral illness but expects to participate in Friday practice. Antonelli told Sky Sports F1 in Austin that he wants to finish the season on a high to maintain hopes for 2027. He noted he is very aware the championship is close but his mindset hasn’t changed.