‘Fire Inside Is Still Burning’: Kimi Antonelli Reveals Next Target After Winning F1 Championship

Kimi Antonelli has stated that he is hungrier than before to win the F1 world championship again in 2027 after tasting success in 2026. The Italian driver said that the ‘fire inside’ to continue winning and achieving new heights ‘is still burning’ despite securing the title this year.

“Despite winning the championship, obviously I’m still just as hungry, if not even hungrier than before, because winning is an amazing feeling. It’s probably one of the best things that can happen to you, so you always want to experience that feeling again and again. So I’d say that, actually, if anything, the hunger is maybe even a little stronger,” said Antonelli.

“The hunger is definitely there, and the fire inside is still burning,” he added.

Antonelli came into the 2026 F1 season with not many giving the then 19-year-old a chance to claim the drivers’ title despite early indications of Mercedes’ dominant power unit. But with just three rounds of the 2026 season left, Antonelli has already claimed nine race wins and a total of 16 podiums.

He sits 111 points clear at the top of the table and is untouchable, having claimed the title two races ago in Mexico.

Kimi Antonelli Shares Mindset for Rest of 2026 and Going Into 2027

Antonelli claimed that the remaining races in 2026 already feel like the start of the 2027 F1 season for him after claiming the title in Mexico two weeks ago. The Mercedes driver explained that his goal for next season is to come back even stronger after finishing this year on a high.

“These last few races this year feel like the start of 2027 for me, like the beginning of preparations for 2027. So the goal is to come back really strong next year, finish this year on a high, hopefully with a few more wins, and then come back strong and try to repeat what we’ve achieved,” said Antonelli.

“Because, obviously, you don’t want this to be just a one-off. This has to be only the beginning. I’d say the car has been really strong this year, and I hope it’ll be just as competitive next year,” he added.

Antonelli said he believes that the Mercedes team will do a good job with the car again in 2027. The 20-year-old then vowed to ‘come back even stronger’ in 2027.

Mercedes Could Impose Team Orders on Kimi Antonelli for the Remainder of 2026

Antonelli’s hopes of winning more races in 2026 could well be hindered as Mercedes could impose team orders on the new world champion to help teammate George Russell in his bid to finish second in the drivers’ championship. Team boss Toto Wolff said that this could be a real ‘possibility’ while speaking in Brazil.

“I haven’t thought about the drivers’ championship yet. But clearly, we absolutely want him to score the maximum [points] and hopefully finish second. We need to think about what we’re going to do about it, but it could be a possibility that we’re giving it all the force,” said Wolff.

This comes after Mercedes claimed the constructors’ title at the Brazilian GP. With both championships secured with three rounds to go this year, it remains to be seen if the Silver Arrows will prioritize Russell in order to have him finish second in the drivers’ standings, which would be his best-ever finish in F1.

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