Formula 1 stars believe that Italian Kimi Antonelli has decided to win the world championship title this year.
Antonelli won the Spanish Grand Prix at the Madring Circuit in the capital, Madrid, on Sunday, achieving his second successive victory and eighth this season, moving away from the lead by 81 points before the last 9 rounds.
But the promising 20-year-old, who has become the youngest Formula 1 world championship leader, refuses to be overconfident or proactive.
Antonelli said: “Being in the lead is a wonderful achievement, but I must continue to press and achieve results, and provide the best performance in every round. I am already far ahead in the lead, but no one knows what could happen, so I must be prepared for everything, and take advantage of every opportunity, and then wait for what will happen at the end of the season.”
For his part, his Mercedes teammate, George Russell, hinted that the title race has already been decided.
Russell said: “I do not consider myself a contender for the drivers’ title, which forces me to focus on trying to achieve the best result in the upcoming races.”
As for Lewis Hamilton, third in the standings, the difference between him and Antonelli widened to 101 points after he withdrew from the Spanish race due to a brake failure.
As for Russell, he ranked fifth, and he said before this round: “Antonelli has performed exceptionally well this season, and he deserves to be in the lead.”
On the other hand, Antonelli tends to be more conservative in dealing with the fact that he has already won the title.
The young Italian won Sunday's race, beating former champions Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, who praised his level this season and his ability to deal with pressure despite his superiority by a large margin.
Verstappen said: “What Antonelli needs is continuity, that is, distinguished performance and good results. He does not feel any anxiety or tension, and I do not think he is nervous. Rather, he performs with confidence and gains experience. He is a promising driver, has a great future ahead of him, and delivers a distinguished performance.”
For his part, Norris, the McLaren driver who won the world championship in 2025, said: “Antonelli has been performing admirably since the beginning of the season.”
The British driver added: “He is superior to his more experienced colleague, and he does not need advice, because he is performing well. He is a wonderful young man, and he is performing amazingly. He is close to winning the title, and what he is presenting does not indicate that he is only in his second season in Formula.”
Ivory Coast midfielder Sekou Fofana put an end to his international career on Monday at the age of 31, after wearing his country's shirt in 34 international matches, during which he won the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations title on home soil.
Fofana said on Instagram: “It is time to turn this page.” “I feel deeply proud and grateful to have the opportunity to represent my country.”
He added: “Winning the most expensive title on the continent is a childhood dream come true, and these memories will remain engraved in the minds of millions of Ivorians.” I will always be the Elephants' number one fan, and I can't wait to see this new generation write their own history. “We have an abundance of talent.”
Having previously played for Udinese in Italy and Lens in France, and in the Saudi League with Al-Nasr and Al-Ettifaq, he is currently defending the Portuguese club Porto on loan from Rennes in France.
He imposed himself as a starter in the midfield of the Ivory Coast national team, alongside Franck Kessier and Jean-Michel Seri, during the campaign that won the African Cup of Nations, and scored seven goals for the “Elephants” team.
He started in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup during the 1-0 win over Ecuador, then came on as a substitute in the 1-2 loss to Germany, and did not play after that. His country was eliminated from the round of 32 by Norway, losing 1-2.
Frenchman Hervé Renard (57 years old) returned last month to coach Ivory Coast for the second time, after previously assuming the job between 2014 and 2015, during which he led it to win the African Cup of Nations title in 2015.
