Antonelli praises Mercedes’ one-stop strategy after 2026 US GP win

After winning the 2026 United States Grand Prix, Kimi Antonelli called Mercedes’ one-stop strategy part of a “perfect execution”. He described the victory as “the result we needed” and praised it as a team effort.

At the post-race press conference, Antonelli said it was rewarding to see results after the work put into Mercedes’ new package. He said the car was strong at high and medium speed, but the package still fell short of expectations in some areas, and low-speed front locking remained a struggle.

Antonelli said the one-stop decision came after the first stint on the Medium. He had been concerned early on, he said, but the pace returned and Mercedes could extend the stint without losing too much time. The Hard felt robust enough to reach the finish, he said.