Mercedes Reveal Antonelli Fought Car Failure in Mexico Title Win

Mercedes Reveal Antonelli Fought Car Failure in Mexico Title Win

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Mercedes Reveal Kimi Antonelli Was ‘Right on the Edge’ During Title Clinching Mexico GP

Mercedes have revealed that Kimi Antonelli was moments away from retiring from the Mexico City Grand Prix, where he would go on to secure his maiden Formula 1 World Championship. The Italian driver nursed his car across the finish line in third place, clinching the title by outscoring his nearest rivals, but the team post-race inspection showed the 20-year-old was fighting a losing battle to keep his W17 on the circuit. According to Mercedes, Antonelli’s car was “covered in oil” after the race, with a cracked sump leaving him “right on the edge of retirement” as he took the chequered flag.

Antonelli needed only to finish ninth in Mexico to guarantee the championship, but he delivered a stellar podium finish instead. This performance capped off a remarkable season, but the true extent of the car’s problems was only understood once the race was over. Mercedes Deputy Team Principal Bradley Lord detailed the precarious situation in an interview on the High Performance Racing podcast. “We got the car back after the race, took the floor off the bottom – covered in oil!” Lord explained. “Sump cracked and Kimi said he thinks about four laps from the end he could start to feel the engine just starting to struggle, so [he was] right on the edge of retirement of that race and yet it held together.”

The Podium Overtake That Sealed the Deal

Antonelli’s position on the podium wasn’t guaranteed until he executed a brilliant, late-race move on Charles Leclerc. The young driver improved from fourth place to secure third, a position that solidified his championship victory. Lord described the overtake as “one of the cleanest Turn 1 overtake[s] we saw all day,” highlighting Antonelli’s instinctive racing prowess. “He’s a racer and that was what was going to put him on the podium,” Lord stated. “Charles had had that massive lock-up at the restart. His tyre was down to the canvas. They were talking about boxing because of it, so Kimi saw an opportunity and it was, I think, the cleanest Turn 1 overtake we saw all day – on the brakes, ran him through the apex, and it was absolutely brilliant.”

That final podium, featuring Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, and the new champion, was particularly poignant. “That’s one of the things Kimi has. Even in Singapore where Lewis and Lando [Norris] were sort of having their coming together, you just watch how he drives those four or five corners in Singapore to pick off two spaces against the reigning World Champion and the most successful driver the sport’s ever seen battling with old and degrading tires. Kimi is utterly clinical when it comes to doing the bit that comes instinctively, and that’s so impressive. Toto [Wolff] was cool. We realised what it brought about as well – suddenly you’ve got this podium of Max, Lewis, and Kimi.”

A Record-Breaking Champion and the Bet That Paid Off

By winning the 2026 title at 20 years and 68 days old, Antonelli broke the previous record held by Sebastian Vettel by more than three years. Antonelli is the youngest Formula 1 world champion in the sport’s history. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff revealed that the team’s decision to promote Antonelli as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement was met with such skepticism that it caused two sponsors to walk away from the team.

“People were doubting. You know, I was thinking before, we had two sponsors leaving us because of that, because of, ‘Who is this kid?’ There were others who stayed with us until today, some are here, they reaped the full reward.”

Wolff framed the move as an instinctive but calculated risk, made immediately after Hamilton announced his departure to Ferrari. “Lewis left. I called Bradley [Lord, Mercedes deputy team principal] and said, ‘Kimi is in the car next year.’ And we knew the data, so it kind of felt the right thing to do. I think it was always a calculated risk, not a real risk.” The payoff for that risk, culminating in Mexico, has been immense.

The Choice to Stay Humble

Despite becoming the sport’s youngest champion and earning the right to display the number one on his car, Antonelli has confirmed he will continue racing with his career number, 12. The Italian driver explained his decision as a way to “stay humble” and honor his idol, Ayrton Senna. “I’m going to keep using the number 12,” Antonelli said. “It’s a very special number for me and one of the ways I have of keeping my feet on the ground and staying humble. Keeping the 12 allows me to start anew and keep improving.” He also added a superstitious reason, joking, “Every time I used it, things went extremely badly for me.”

Andrea kimi antonelli mercedes
Photo: Motorsport.com

Antonelli’s connection to Senna runs deep. He chose the number 12 after studying tapes of Senna’s career, particularly from his 1988 championship season. Ahead of the 2025 Sao Paulo Grand Prix, a race that held special significance as the 35th anniversary of Senna’s famous win in sixth gear, Antonelli visited the legend’s gravesite and wore a special tribute helmet. Lewis Hamilton has also opted to keep his racing number, a trend Kimi Antonelli is now continuing, signaling a mindset focused on staying humble rather than resting on past laurels.

Disclaimer: The analytical insights and data provided in this article are for informational and entertainment purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or sports betting recommendations.

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