Kimi Antonelli wants to ‘surround himself’ with people he ‘trusts’ amid George Russell title fight

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Andrea Kimi Antonelli is understood to be trying to surround himself with people who the Mercedes gem trusts to help him manage the mental aspect of the 2026 title fight.

The 19-year-old is only contesting his second season in Formula 1 this term, yet he arrives in Florida for this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix leading the drivers’ standings. Antonelli has also secured his first Grand Prix pole positions and victories this year, coming in China and Japan.

Antonelli won the Chinese GP from pole position with a mature performance on the back of becoming the youngest-ever polesitter. The beneficial timing of a safety car to recover Oliver Bearman’s Haas helped Antonelli win the Japanese GP, after he made a poor start from pole.

Scoring back-to-back Grand Prix wins before the April break means Antonelli sits nine points ahead of Mercedes teammate George Russell in the F1 drivers’ standings. The Bologna boy can even become the youngest-ever champion by more than three years if he takes the title.

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Kimi Antonelli flies his ‘whole family’ to the Miami GP to help manage the title pressure

Antonelli is “confident” that he can beat Russell to win the 2026 F1 title, but acknowledges that his teammate has far more experience to lean on with the Briton contesting his eighth campaign. Russell debuted for Williams in 2019, before he moved up to Mercedes in 2022.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Mercedes F1 driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli

Given the challenge that awaits Antonelli in his bid to become only Italy’s third F1 champion this season, after Giuseppe Farina (1950) and Alberto Ascari (1952 and 1953), Corriere Della Serra reports that the teenager is working on the ‘mental aspect’ required to claim the title.

Antonelli has even flown his ‘whole family’ to the Miami GP this weekend, as he is eager to ‘surround himself’ with people he ‘trusts’. The Italian hopes to avoid the pressures of a title fight getting to him outside of the car, as aspects behind the wheel can be easier to control.

Marco Antonelli, Kimi’s dad, was quick to try to play down his son’s emerging status as an F1 title contender following his maiden Grand Prix victory in China. But further victories would increase Kimi’s hopes for denying Russell, who is not trying to be swept up by the title fight.

Russell claims he is “not even thinking” about the 2026 title fight at this stage, too, given the season is still very much in its infancy. Instead, the Briton says he is merely taking the season one race at a time and focusing on what he can control to record the best results each week.