Antonelli on the Singapore podium, with Wolff's cushion joke over track limits
Antonelli finished on the Singapore Grand Prix podium on Sunday, 11 October 2026, while Mercedes managed a track-limit count that could have cost him five seconds. Sources differ on whether he finished second or third, and the title could be settled at Austin.
Singapore podium and the points lead
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the 20-year-old Mercedes driver, finished on the podium of the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday, 11 October 2026. Sources disagree on the exact place: Il Fatto Quotidiano reports third in the race, while Fanpage describes a second-place finish that added to his points tally. Il Fatto Quotidiano says he started seventh in the sprint qualifying and turned that into a stronger race result, calling the drive a test of maturity. His teammate George Russell finished ninth after starting from the back of the grid, a drive Il Fatto Quotidiano described as colourless.
Track limits and the pillow joke
Drivers may leave the track at certain points up to three times, and the fourth infraction brings a five-second penalty. Antonelli already took such a penalty earlier this year. In Singapore four infractions were flagged against him, but after an FIA review one was judged not countable, leaving three, and he finished with three. Toto Wolff joked after the race that he would put a hotel pillow under Antonelli's seat so he could see the road better, then said the aim was simply to seat him higher. Wolff said the driver had run with three strikes for a long stretch, which added stress but also showed how hard he was pushing. Wolff also praised the driving as mature and solid, calling the handling of a difficult car after the latest update a good sign.
- Flagged in Singapore
- 4 infractions
- Counted after FIA review
- 3 infractions
Title race
Both outlets say the championship could be settled at the next round in Austin. Fanpage describes Antonelli as the championship leader and the 20-year-old who would become world champion at that age. Il Fatto Quotidiano frames his maturity as the key to handling the anxiety of a title that is now very close. It also describes the car as sensitive and unpredictable after the latest package of updates, which makes managing track limits harder.
Locked out of the paddock
Fanpage reports that Antonelli was shut out of the paddock in Singapore while trying to return with a Mercedes team member. The security staff did not recognise him, and his attempt to identify himself as a Formula 1 driver did not work. The gate opened only after Max Verstappen arrived a few minutes later, and security let Antonelli in behind him. Fanpage says the episode amused fans, who found it surreal.
A Mercedes karting prospect
Il Giornale profiles an 11-year-old in the Mercedes Junior Academy who won the FIA Karting World Cup OK-N category in Viterbo on the same Sunday as the Singapore race. The boy won every heat and took the final with a lead of more than five seconds. He races for Kart Republic with Dino Chiesa, and his father Alessandro, a rally driver, put him behind the wheel at three years old. Il Giornale frames him as Mercedes' next young talent after Antonelli.
