Antonelli says 2027 preparation starts now
Kimi Antonelli said at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix media day on Thursday that he is treating the closing races of the season as the start of his preparation for 2027. The Mercedes driver clinched the world championship in Mexico City last weekend, becoming the youngest F1 world champion by more than three years in only his second season.
Antonelli, 20, is racing at Interlagos this weekend in his first event since securing the title. "I'm actually very excited to be here," he said. "It's a good opportunity for me to, first of all, you know, try to finish the season on a top, but I also feel like that my 2027 preparation starts now. "It's going to be important to finish the season well, strong, in order to have the confidence and also to be able to get the confidence ahead of 2027."
On Tuesday Antonelli visited the property of the family of the late Ayrton Senna and sat in one of the legendary three-time champion's Lotus cars from the 1980s. He will wear a new Ayrton Senna-inspired helmet design as a tribute at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix this weekend.
Antonelli reflected on his achievement on media day at the track on Thursday. "I would have liked a bit more time to just even digest what happened," he said. "I had such a crazy sequence of events in these days. I won the championship, then spent time with the Senna family, which was already an incredible event. So definitely, I would have liked a bit more time to just sit down and like reflect and realise what happened." He said the idea of being world champion "still feels surreal".
One of his most treasured moments in Mexico was when Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen hoisted him onto their shoulders on the podium after the race. He said: "I already framed the picture and definitely will put it on the wall because it's such a moment. Who would have said it? I wouldn't have expected to celebrate my title in that way. So definitely when they picked me up was the cherry on top of the cake. "I will always be thankful towards them for doing that because, first of all, to receive that from two incredible drivers who have done the history of the sport is very special. "And also even more special because it was real. It was something that they actually wanted to do. "So it was a very special moment and definitely I hope I can see them again to thank them properly with a bit of calm because it was just very special."
BBC will provide live commentary on Radio 5 Sports Extra and live text updates on the BBC Sport website and app for the Sao Paulo weekend.
Antonelli returns to action at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix this weekend, contesting his first race since clinching the title while wearing the Senna tribute helmet at Interlagos.
