- Published
So far, Kimi Antonelli has been a wallflower at his own party at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
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Antonelli → publish → Prix
Fourth place on the grid is low-key for the Mercedes driver in the context of his season as a whole - and the gargantuan achievement of which he stands on the brink.
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he → stand → brink
It still puts the 20-year-old Italian in a strong position to seal the maiden title that will make him the youngest champion in history.
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him → put → history
But on Saturday that was overshadowed by the veteran whose seat Antonelli took at Mercedes, as Lewis Hamilton secured his first pole position for Ferrari and his first for more than three years.
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Hamilton → overshadow → years
The seven-time champion edged out his former Mercedes team-mate George Russell by just 0.009 seconds to clinch his first pole since the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix and the 105th of his stellar career.
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champion → edge → career
Fittingly, the only two drivers who, at least mathematically, can prevent Antonelli from sealing the deal on Sunday are together on the front row.
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who → prevent → row
The only possible way in which Antonelli will not become champion at the end of the race is if either Hamilton or Russell win.
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Hamilton → become → race
Even then, he needs only to finish ninth if it's Russell or 10th if it's Hamilton to be sure.
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it → need → ?
Hamilton said the idea was not even in his mind.
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idea → say → mind
"That's not really something we're thinking of," he said.
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he → think → ?
"We're thinking of just trying to score the best result for the team.
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We → think → team
"Kimi, he's continued to drive really well and doing what he needs to do.
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he → continue → what
All he has to do is just finish where he is, and he's kind of on his own journey.
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he → have → journey
"Our journey is to focus on performing the best we can this weekend and holding on to second in the Constructors' Championship."
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we → focus → Championship
Russell said it was "obviously inevitable" that Antonelli would win the championship, adding that it would be "most likely this weekend".
He continued: "So, for me personally, just going out there to try to have a good race.
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He → say → race
I want to try to finish this season strong.
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I → want → season
In my mind, he's kind of already won the championship.
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he → win → championship
So that's something that I don't think I need to deal with."
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I → think → that
Antonelli, though, would not agree with Hamilton's assessment of his weekend so far.
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Antonelli → agree → weekend
He has looked quick at times, but in qualifying it did not come together, and he ended up 0.184secs off Russell.
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he → look → Russell
He was fifth fastest, but a one-place penalty for Red Bull's Max Verstappen puts Antonelli on the second row alongside Hamilton's team-mate Charles Leclerc.
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penalty → put → mate
Antonelli admitted that the high stakes of the weekend were on his mind, to the extent that it was affecting his driving.
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it → admit → driving
"I just feel like I didn't do a good enough job out there and didn't have the most confidence," he said.
"It hasn't been easy this weekend, to be fair, and especially to keep my emotions flat.
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It → feel → emotions
Definitely I have been a bit more tense than usual, also that played a big factor.
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that → play → factor
"But I try to enjoy the evening with family and friends and focus on tomorrow."
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I → try → tomorrow
Hamilton said his pole, on his 43rd start for Ferrari, was "one of the greatest feelings".
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pole → say → feelings
It is not the first time he has qualified fastest for Ferrari - that was when he took sprint pole at the Chinese Grand Prix last year, in only his second race for the team.
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he → qualify → team
But that was followed by a difficult debut season, when he looked a shadow of his former self, and was pretty much taken to the cleaners by Leclerc.
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he → follow → Leclerc
Hamilton's record is such that his performances last year left many perplexed - not least himself.
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performances → leave → many
He was consistently down on himself, even saying at one low point in the summer of 2025 that he was "just useless" and suggesting Ferrari should change drivers.
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Ferrari → say → drivers
As this followed a similarly challenging final year for Mercedes, it inevitably led to questions about his future, whether age was catching up with him.
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age → follow → him
After all, he had no explanations for his performances himself.
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he → have → performances
His form has improved this year, with a car that he finds much more to his liking, and he has a number of times referenced these perfectly valid questions.
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number → improve → questions
He did so again on Saturday.
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He → do → Saturday
"It's impossible to rank 105 pole positions," he said.
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he → rank → positions
It feels more special in this period where they're not every week and it's the first one with Ferrari in red.
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it → feel → red
"I've now had pole with three different teams, which is pretty phenomenal.
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which → have → teams
And all the questions people had about whether a 40-year-old has still got it, there you go."
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you → have → it
Hamilton leads his team-mate by eight points in the championship and in qualifying there is nothing to choose between them - it is now 12-10 in their head-to-head and Leclerc is ahead on average pace by just 0.037secs, when the gap was 0.15secs last year.
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gap → lead → 0.037secs
"I have been fortunate to have many great experiences with Mercedes over the years," said Hamilton.
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Hamilton → have → years
…and 23 more, not listed.
The Aporia
