Kimi Antonelli explains how he stopped Max Verstappen from overtaking him at the Brazilian GP

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Kimi Antonelli scored the best result of his Formula 1 career so far after holding on to second place ahead of Max Verstappen at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

From lap one this weekend, the Italian driver looked the faster of the Mercedes and remained consistent from Friday through Sunday. It should leave his team more comfortable with their choice of driver line-up heading into the 2026 F1 regulations.

Antonelli now has two podiums to show for his efforts this year, picking up his last one in Canada nearly six months ago. He’s almost guaranteed to finish seventh in the drivers’ championship, and that’s something he can build on in the future.

Damon Hill is still ‘not sure’ about Antonelli and believes that he has more to prove if he wants to be considered a top driver at a top team. Antonelli was ‘annoyed’ in Brazil and really wanted to get his first Formula 1 victory. Unfortunately, he fell just short.

READ MORE: F1 fans keep making the same comparison between Kimi Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton at the Brazilian Grand Prix

Kimi Antonelli used the ‘dirty air’ to keep Max Verstappen behind the Brazilian Grand Prix

George Russell is ‘frustrated’ by Antonelli, who is showing some signs of starting to come into his own. At one stage, the Briton led all teammate head-to-heads comfortably. It’ll be fascinating to see if their battle is more even next year.

The 19-year-old’s racecraft has come under fire at times this season, such as when he hit Charles Leclerc in Zandvoort. He was also involved in a tangle with the Monegasque driver in Sao Paulo, but escaped unscathed, as the Ferrari driver retired again.

Late in the race, he had to be clever with the positioning of his car, revealing after the race that he used the ‘dirty air’ to keep a fast-charging Max Verstappen behind him.

“The last few laps were very stressful with Max coming with a fresher tyre,” he said on Sky Sports F1 after the race. “Luckily, with the free air, we were able to maintain a decent pace and finish P2. I found my rhythm. Obviously, when he was closing in, I raised the pace.

“I tried to push a bit more. I found my rhythm, and obviously, with this car, with the dirty air, it’s a bit difficult to follow. I tried to use that into my advantage and it paid off.”

READ MORE: Kimi Antonelli just gave George Russell a glimpse of the biggest challenge he faces next season

How much has Kimi Antonelli improved since the Formula 1 summer break?

Toto Wolff agreed a two-year loan for Antonelli in the summer, when it looked as though he had a chance of signing Verstappen.

At the time, his driver had been going through a tough period and scored points just once in seven races in the middle of the European leg.

Since a bad weekend at Zandvoort, where a collision took him out of contention for points, he has been much better, though.

He has scored points in five of his last six Grands Prix, including four top-six appearances. Antonelli is trending in the right direction and building some momentum at an encouraging time.