“It’s not realistic” – Toto Wolff Plays Down Kimi Antonelli’s Title Shot at COTA

Toto Wolff has played down Kimi Antonelli’s chances of winning the maiden F1 championship at the United States Grand Prix this weekend, despite the Italian securing the pole position. Mercedes boss believes the team doesn’t currently have the pace to win at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin.  

“We are not talking about that [the championship]. It’s not realistic,” Wolff told Sky Sports F1. “I don’t think we are quickest in the race, so it’s about scoring points and eventually, hopefully, winning.”

Ferrari was the fastest team in all three practice sessions at the United States GP. Kimi Antonelli wasn’t even expected to take pole position, but he produced a superb lap in Q3 to edge out Max Verstappen by a margin of 0.179s. It was his seventh pole of the season.  

Can Kimi Antonelli Become the Youngest F1 World Champion in Austin?

After taking pole, Antonelli has put himself in a strong position to become the youngest F1 world champion at the U.S. GP this weekend. He has the opportunity to break Sebastian Vettel’s 16-year-old record. Vettel won his first title in 2010 when he was 23 years old.  

The Mercedes driver heads to COTA with a 102-point advantage over his teammate George Russell. To break the record, he must win the race, with Russell finishing outside the top eight and Lewis Hamilton finishing outside the top four.

Hamilton and Russell will start fifth and sixth when the green flag drops at COTA at 3 PM CDT local time on Sunday, October 25.

“The Goal Stays the Same”: Kimi Antonelli Focused on His Job at Mercedes

Despite Wolff’s cautious assessment, the young F1 sensation is determined to maintain his approach as he continues his sophomore campaign at COTA. He is still focused on winning, insisting that his mindset and focus remain unchanged.

“The goal stays the same. I just need to keep doing my job, and actually, I feel like I can enjoy the driving and everything more,” said Antonelli.

“But of course, we still have to do the race, still have to try and win, and then, of course, we’ll see what happens. But I feel like I can enjoy it a bit more because obviously I’m in a very good position. But still, the mindset is always the same.”

With one hand firmly on the driver’s championship, Kimi Antonelli is set to lead the field and will look to create history on Sunday.

More F1 Reading

• Alpine Defends Franco Colapinto Amid Jeremy Clarkson’s Controversial Remark About the Argentine
• “I had High Hopes” – Max Verstappen Laments Missing Pole Position at COTA
• “I Did a Very Bad Job” – Lando Norris Admits His McLaren Had Front Row Potential at COTA
• “We are Losing Quite a Lot” – Charles Leclerc Seeks Answers After Ferrari’s disaster in Austin Q3