Antonelli reveals why it is "impossible to become complacent"
Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli says he remains focused on taking the 2026 Formula One season "one weekend at a time" despite extending his championship lead with victory in the Belgian Grand Prix.
Antonelli claimed his sixth victory of the season at Spa-Francorchamps after a hard-fought race in which he had to fend off challenges from Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc.
The result, combined with the opening-lap retirement of Mercedes team-mate George Russell, increased the Italian's advantage at the top of the drivers' standings from 25 points to almost 50 over Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton.
Reflecting on his return to the top step of the podium after a difficult run of races, Antonelli admitted it was one of his toughest victories of the year.
"Yeah, it's great to be back on the top step after, obviously, a few difficult rounds," he said. "It was a hard-fought race."
Antonelli briefly lost the lead following the Virtual Safety Car period but recovered to claim victory. He also paid tribute to Leclerc, who remained within striking distance throughout the closing stages.
"We lost, obviously, first place with the Virtual Safety Car, but then we managed to make our way back. It was a tough win because Charles was quick and we had to hold on."
Despite seeing his championship lead almost double after Russell's retirement, Antonelli insisted he is not paying attention to the points table.
"I mean, the momentum has always been there despite what happened in the previous races," he explained. "That's why I just need to take it one weekend at a time, because you never know what can happen."
Instead, the Mercedes driver believes his focus must remain on extracting the maximum performance every time he gets behind the wheel.
"I just need to maximise the performance every time and try to do my best whenever I get in the car. Then you see what the balance is at the end of the year."
Antonelli believes the unpredictable nature of Formula One's new technical regulations means it is impossible to become complacent.
"But with these new cars and new regulations, there's so much going on and so many unpredictable things that can happen. That's why I just need to focus race by race, and then you'll see at the end of the year."
Asked whether his recent victory signalled that he had regained momentum in the title fight, Antonelli insisted that momentum had never disappeared.
"I think the momentum was always there. It was just about getting the result," the Italian driver noted.
He acknowledged that Russell's retirement had worked in his favour but stressed that opportunities must be seized whenever they arise.
"Today, we were a bit lucky with what happened in terms of the championship, but that's why you've got to try to take every opportunity, because we saw that the situation can really swing very easily."
"We've just got to keep performing, keep bringing the results, and then we'll see what happens at the end of the year," concluded Antonelli.
