Andrea Kimi Antonelli is close to fulfilling the dream of becoming Formula 1 world champion. It would be an extraordinary achievement for the 20-year-old, accomplished by only two Italian drivers in Formula 1 history: Nino Farina in 1950 and Alberto Ascari in 1952 and 1953.
The Mercedes talent has produced an outstanding season, reaching the podium 14 times in 17 Grands Prix. Austin will give Andrea Kimi Antonelli his first opportunity to secure the championship before the season continues in Mexico and Brazil, where René Arnoux took victory for Renault in 1980.
René Arnoux backs Kimi Antonelli to handle Austin title pressure
Asked what Andrea Kimi Antonelli will be thinking when he takes to the track in the United States, René Arnoux expressed confidence in the Mercedes driver’s approach.
“He is a mature and calm person, and I am sure he will keep his mind clear. In the last few races he has focused on the World Championship, avoiding unnecessary risks. He has to continue like that. In Formula 1, talent is not enough; you also need intelligence and a little bit of luck. Those are qualities Kimi has shown throughout the year. I don’t remember any mistakes from him apart from the one he made in qualifying in Azerbaijan, and in the second half of the championship he has managed to maintain a high level of performance with a Mercedes that is no longer dominant.”
No driver has ever won the Formula 1 World Championship at that age, but René Arnoux believes Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s development has been remarkable.
“He is impressing me. He is now the undisputed leader at Mercedes, while George Russell has become the second driver. Everyone loves him, including team principal Toto Wolff, who has followed him since his karting days. You can see how happy he is when Antonelli gets a good result. Last year was not positive, but Kimi learned from his mistakes and has grown enormously in a very short time.”
René Arnoux hopes for Antonelli-Verstappen title fight in 2027
Asked whether Formula 1 could see Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen fighting for the championship in 2027, René Arnoux said he hopes that becomes reality.
“I hope so, it would be beautiful. For me, the Dutchman is still the best driver in the world. Red Bull has had the opposite season to Mercedes: it started badly but improved enormously through development. Verstappen has won the last two races and could finish the championship in second place. It would be the perfect way to approach 2027 with the aim of winning a fifth World Championship.”
René Arnoux says Ferrari makes too many mistakes
The discussion then turned to Ferrari and the Singapore Grand Prix, where Lewis Hamilton did not follow the team’s instructions and lost a potential third-place finish. The seven-time world champion subsequently accepted responsibility for the Singapore strategy decision, but René Arnoux believes the wider problem goes beyond one call.
Asked whether Lewis Hamilton’s decision showed a lack of trust in Ferrari, René Arnoux replied: “At Silverstone and in Hungary the team had made mistakes, so this time he preferred to make the decision himself. He then apologised, but it was a shame. The problem is that they make many more mistakes at Maranello than the other teams. Ferrari has a good car this year, but it has lost a lot of points because of strategy.”
Ferrari’s strategic choices have repeatedly come under scrutiny this season, with the Scuderia’s race management and stop timing available in the Ferrari Pit Stop & Strategy Statistics. Singapore provided another example of how difficult calls can influence the final result even when the SF-26 has competitive performance.
Charles Leclerc could have attacked Max Verstappen at the start
René Arnoux was also asked about Charles Leclerc’s start in Singapore, where the Ferrari driver was almost alongside Max Verstappen. Given how difficult overtaking can be at Marina Bay, the former Formula 1 driver believes Charles Leclerc could have taken a greater risk when the opportunity appeared.
“I always say that if there is a gap, a driver has to go for it. Max has raced with that mentality throughout his career. At Marina Bay there are very few opportunities to attack, so it could have changed the race.”
Charles Leclerc ultimately secured second place in Singapore, a result that gave Ferrari renewed encouragement before its next development phase. The significance of that performance is examined in more detail in why Charles Leclerc’s Singapore P2 gives Ferrari hope ahead of the Austin upgrades.
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