With the Title in Sight, Antonelli Remains Focused

On Thursday, Antonelli told the media, including FanAmp, that he remains focused on the task at hand. When asked about what he thinks about being so close to winning the championship, Antonelli said, "Just always the same mindset as I had all year, one race at a time, just try to do the best I can every week."

In a joint interview session that also included seven-time champion, Lewis Hamilton, Antonelli shared how important it was to follow the F1 legend by winning a title at Mercedes. "It was a dream, it's something I've dreamt of since I was little." 

Before unpacking his excitement any further, though, Antonelli returned his focus to Sunday. "But at the same time I need to keep going, keep pushing. It's not over yet, so first we're trying to finish the job properly."

To seal his maiden championship in Austin, the Italian youngster must win the Grand Prix, with teammate George Russell finishing ninth or lower, and Lewis Hamilton finishing fifth or lower. With betting lines currently predicting both Russell and Hamilton to reach the top 5, this scenario is a long shot.

Another route to victory, however, could come in the form of a shortened championship. A recent missile strike Dhahran, nearly 100 miles from the Lusail International circuit in Qatar, sowed doubts that the final two races of the season will continue as scheduled.

Formula 1 reportedly made preparations for Imola to host aseason finale if security concerns in the Middle East force the cancellation of the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix.

In this scenario, Antonelli can clinch the title by winning the Grand Prix this weekend. Even if he finishes among the top 5, he can still win the championship by finishing ahead of Russell if Hamilton does not win the race.

Without an announcement of a schedule change as of yet, Kimi tempered expectations of a celebration on Sunday. "Something catastrophic to the others needs to happen for me to become [champion]. For me, it needs to be a perfect weekend, and the others, they need to not get the result, which is unlikely to happen."