Antonelli teases prank on Toto Wolff as he nears 2026 F1 title
The 20-year-old leads the standings by 102 points and has outlined the conditions required to become the youngest world champion.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli is on the brink of making history in Formula 1: at 20, the Mercedes driver arrives in Austin with a commanding 102-point lead in the 2026 standings and could secure the world title this weekend.
Conditions for a coronation in Texas
With six races left in the season, the United States Grand Prix offers Antonelli his first mathematical chance to clinch the championship. To wrap up the crown in Austin he would need to win the race, for his teammate George Russell to finish ninth or lower, and for the Ferrari driver, Lewis Hamilton, who is third and 111 points adrift, to finish no better than fifth.
Behind the scenes at Mercedes the atmosphere has been lightened all season by recurring pranks between Antonelli and his race engineer, Pete Bonnington — from cake attacks and fire extinguishers to hot-sauce revenge. Those moments have become a recurring feature of the team’s off-camera footage.
Asked what he might do if he becomes champion, Antonelli said he’s contemplated a stunt that would target his team boss. "It is already a completely different dimension. You must have serious courage to do something like that, you must have big b**ls to joke with Toto Wolff. Still, first I have to finish the job on track and finish the year in style. After that, he won't be able to protest much. But it's definitely next level," Antonelli said.
The idea is clearly risky: Toto Wolff remains the unquestioned alpha at Mercedes, and the team has been hunting its first title since 2020. For now, Antonelli’s priority is to convert the on-track advantage into a championship before any celebratory pranks come into play.
Photo: press material from the event
