Antonelli says F1 title is within reach after Verstappen wins Singapore GP
Kimi Antonelli said he can taste Formula One glory after finishing third at the Singapore Grand Prix at Marina Bay on Sunday, a result that, following Max Verstappen’s victory at the same race, leaves Antonelli able to secure the world championship in Texas in two weeks’ time. Verstappen led the race from start to finish in a dominant display.
Antonelli’s podium in Singapore positions the 20-year-old to become F1’s youngest champion; he leads his Mercedes teammate, George Russell, by 102 points and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton by 111. There are six meetings remaining on the calendar and 25 points are awarded to each race winner.
When asked whether he dared to dream that the championship was within reach, Antonelli replied: “For sure,” he said. “I know it’s very close, I know it’s there but I just need to make sure that I keep doing the best I can. The mindset is always the same, to go out there and win and perform the best way I can.”
Antonelli conceded he had not driven at his best in Singapore and said a short reset would help. “This weekend I haven’t particularly driven that well,” he added. “I felt like I could have done a better job but I feel confident that a week to reset and I’m really looking forward to being back in Austin. But at the end of the day, if I don’t do my job well, then the result won’t come. So in order to achieve what I want, I need to perform, as simple as that.”
Mercedes were outpaced by Red Bull in Singapore, with the silver arrows still striving to exploit recent upgrades, but Antonelli expressed confidence that he and the team will have more to offer in Texas. Verstappen’s victory at Marina Bay came ahead of Antonelli’s third-place finish.
Lewis Hamilton finished sixth and apologised to his Ferrari team after electing not to pit under the virtual safety car, a decision that left him vulnerable on worn tyres late in the race and led to him being passed by three rivals; he was unwell after the race and given leave to miss his media duties but Ferrari issued a comment from the British driver. “A painful lesson today but I take full responsibility for the decisions I made,” the 41-year-old said. “Not every call will work out and I can accept getting it wrong but I’m sorry for the team for the points we lost today.” Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur defended the team’s calls: “We were P2, P3 on track, we called two of our guys to pit behind the VSC, one of our guys said: ‘No I prefer to stay on track’, or he missed pit entry. Don’t blame the team,” he noted.
The championship can be decided at the next round in Austin: Antonelli will take the title if he wins in Texas and George Russell finishes ninth or lower and Lewis Hamilton finishes fifth or lower.