Kimi Antonelli’s next job: Winning constructors’ title for Mercedes
New Formula 1 world champion seeks to seal the double with Mercedes
Kimi Antonelli will have little time to recover from the celebrations of his historic Formula One world title, as the bandwagon moves to the Sao Paulo GP this weekend.
The 20-year-old will, instead, need to refocus on the job at hand as he seeks to lead Mercedes to the double by beating Ferrari to take the constructors' championship. Mercedes will have to outscore Ferrari by three points or more to be champions.
The youngest champion in F1 history, and first Italian winner for 73 years, Antonelli will be bidding for his 10th win of a remarkable season but knows luckless team-mate George Russell will be intent on returning to winning ways himself.
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The Briton is without a win in four races since dominating from pole position in Baku and is chasing a fourth win this year.
While Russell was left licking his wounds, Antonelli visited the family of his childhood hero Ayrton Senna and was photographed sitting in the three-time champion's famous black and gold Lotus 98T car – complete with number 12 on the nose, the number the Italian has said he will keep next year.
Both the Silver Arrows' drivers will be strongly challenged by Red Bull's in-form four-time world champion Max Verstappen, who has won three of the last four races including resisting Lewis Hamilton's late charge in Mexico last Sunday.
The speed of his team-mate Isack Hadjar will also be a threat along with both Ferraris, with Hamilton still smarting from their failure to triumph in Mexico due to poor teamwork and Charles Leclerc's first-lap attack.
Ferrari, however, are without a win in Brazil since 2017 when the previous youngest champion Sebastian Vettel was victorious.
And with rain anticipated this weekend, brace for more drama as the Formula 1 season begins to wind down.
