Kimi Antonelli rise branded 'hell of a story' ahead of potential F1 title party

Nico Hülkenberg has described Kimi Antonelli's rise to the top of F1 as "a hell of a story", with the Mercedes driver in a position to seal the title at this weekend's United States Grand Prix.

Antonelli leads the drivers' championship by 102 points ahead of team-mate George Russell, and could be crowned the youngest champion if he wins at the Circuit of the Americas, provided Russell finishes ninth or lower and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton fifth or lower.

It marks a remarkable turnaround from a difficult rookie campaign in 2025, when Antonelli struggled to adapt, notably scoring a miserable three points across the nine grands prix in Europe.

Speaking to media, including RacingNews365, in Austin, asked how special Antonelli's season has been given his age, Audi driver Hülkenberg replied: "Very, very impressive.

"He's had a hell of a year, and a hell of a turnaround story from 12 months ago, where things looked very difficult and very different for him.

"It just goes to show how things can change so rapidly in this business, in this industry, and it all goes back to the feeling and your confidence with the car and with yourself.

"It's quite astonishing, a hell of a story, and respect, fair play to him. He's been pretty flawless this year, pulling off some incredible performances. Very impressive for his age."

Asked whether it was astonishing that Antonelli had managed such a turnaround, Hülkenberg pointed out the context behind it.

"Well, obviously it's his second season that he's doing it, not his debut season, but still, it is very astonishing, a huge achievement, and huge respect for what he's doing," added the German.

Mercedes has brought an aerodynamic and chassis upgrade package to Austin for both cars, following performance shortfalls identified in Malaysia and Singapore, as the Brackley-based squad looks to give Antonelli the tools to finish the job in Texas.