F1 crown within reach not changing Antonelli’s mindset

Kimi Antonelli says he cannot change his approach to trying to win the Formula 1 drivers’ championship despite knowing he can secure his first title at the U.S. Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas.

Third place in Singapore moved Antonelli to within a mathematical chance of winning the championship at the next race in Texas, where he needs a victory and then a combination of other results for George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. Although his crowning appears to be a formality with six races remaining this season, Antonelli says continuity is required to complete the job.

“I know it’s very close, I know it’s there, but I just need to make sure that I keep doing the best I can,” Antonelli said. “The mindset is always the same, to go out there and win and perform the best way I can.

“I think [in Singapore] I haven’t particularly driven that well. I felt like I could have done a better job, but I feel confident that [improvements will come] after a week to reset and I’m really looking forward to being back in Austin.

“But at the end of the day, if I don’t do my job well, then the result won’t come. So in order to achieve what I want, I need to perform, as simple as that.”

Along with a victory, Antonelli needs Russell to finish no higher than ninth place, and Hamilton no higher than fifth. Given the scenarios that are outside the Italian’s control – and with uncertainty over the status of the final two races of the year – team principal Toto Wolff says it’s not an outcome that he is overly concerned about at this stage.

“I haven’t looked at it from that perspective because the moment I have the thought of, ’How many points is it actually and when could he win it?’ I remind myself that this is motor racing and crazy things have happened,” Wolff said. “Mathematically, I haven’t looked at the points, but it probably needs the other two – George and Lewis – to retire and him winning. So this is not a likely scenario.

“But the aim must be to score points, not to lose too many on the others. Maybe like [Singapore], gaining on Lewis, which was unexpected, and then it’s going to come towards him. And whether that’s in Mexico or Brazil or further down the line, we shall see.

“And, I guess, whether Qatar and Abu Dhabi happens – at the moment, everybody says so, so you need to go in the direction of this is six more races to go and not four.”