Kimi Antonelli believes he wouldn’t have been able to deliver what he did in Las Vegas at the start of his F1 career, calling it his “best race of the season” as he made a single set of tyres last for 48 laps on his way to a podium finish.
The rookie has had a rollercoaster first year in F1, with the previous round in Las Vegas proving no different as he was knocked out in Q1 and opted to take a gamble on an early pit stop. He bolted on hard tyres at the end of Lap 2 and made them last all the way to the chequered flag as he crossed the line in fourth place, before a five-second penalty dropped him to fifth.
However, he was later promoted to third following a double disqualification for McLaren, marking his third podium of the season and arguably the one he fought hardest for, as he ultimately gained 14 positions over the 50-lap race.
Asked whether he believed it was his best race of the season, despite netting a higher P2 finish in Brazil, he responded: “I think it was, definitely, because we executed everything very well.
“Obviously the strategy was pretty crazy but we made it stick. It changed the whole race, and the fact that we were able to hold on to that one-stop allowed us to finish where we did at the end.
“On my side, it was probably the best race of the season so far because in that stint I was able to manage the tyres and put together everything I’ve learned this season. It was nice because it kept coming, and it was good fun.
“I wouldn’t have been able to do it at the start of the season. The tyre got older lap by lap and I was able to, with the support of the team, react and balance the car, especially in the last few laps. At the start of the season I would have stopped instead of going until the end.”
The result was Mercedes’ second double podium of the year as George Russell took P2, but it wasn’t the most straightforward weekend for him. After Qualifying, he reported that he struggled to turn around the corners due to an unknown problem with the steering, which reappeared in the race.
Ending the Grand Prix third on the road, he similarly benefitted from the McLaren disqualifications to take second, helping Mercedes to establish a 40-point lead over Red Bull in the Teams’ Standings.
After they dropped behind McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull last season, improving to P2 would be a fantastic result for the Brackley outfit, especially after they took a chance on a rookie driver to replace the Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton.
“It was a really good result for us last week in Vegas,” Russell said. “Fortunately, we found the problem that we had with the steering in Qualifying and the race, so I’m glad we’ve found the issue of that.
“Great points for us and we’ve got a really good opportunity again this weekend. I think we’ve got the upper hand on Ferrari but of course Max is the man in form at the moment so we can’t take anything for granted.
“If you can’t win, I guess you choose to finish second. It’s not what I dreamt of as a kid but it’s a big recognition of all the hard work we’ve collectively put in. Formula 1 is highly competitive.
“McLaren have done an insane job this season and to finish P2, to beat Ferrari and Red Bull will be a big achievement for us as a team. We need to try and seal the deal in the next two races, and then of course it’s full focus for 2026.”
.webp?ssl=1 "James Hinchcliffe picks his top five drivers of the 2026 Formula 1 season so far")
