Antonelli reflects on F1 title after nine-hour flight to São Paulo

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Archive photograph: Kimi Antonelli · 2025-10-17Archive photo · 2025-10-17 · Kuyper · CC BY-SA 4.0

After securing the 2026 title in Mexico, the 20-year-old reflected at a special Wednesday press conference in São Paulo. A day later, he said the achievement still felt surreal.

From the GPBeat newsroomPublished · 05 Nov 2026, 23:46 · 1 min

Kimi Antonelli’s title celebrations continued in São Paulo on Wednesday after a roughly nine-hour flight to Brazil for the final phase of a demanding triple-header. At a special press conference with Petronas, Mercedes’ title and technical partner, he reflected on the Mexico weekend about 72 hours after it had secured the 2026 championship.

His third place in Mexico City was enough to put the championship beyond mathematical doubt, despite the effects of illness and the pressure of sealing it. At 20, Antonelli became Formula 1’s youngest world champion.

On Thursday, he said he had not yet had enough time to take in the achievement and that it still felt surreal. He also said he had been able to relax and recharge over a couple of days.

Antonelli singled out a video from Sebastian Vettel among the messages he had received, saying it carried deep meaning and advice for the future. He also expressed gratitude for messages from other drivers. His stated goal in São Paulo is to win at a circuit he loves, while enjoying the remaining races and continuing to fight for victories.

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