Kimi Antonelli has insisted he will not get carried away by the prospect of sealing the F1 drivers' championship at next weekend's United States Grand Prix, despite holding a commanding 102-point lead over Mercedes team-mate George Russell.
The 20-year-old Italian could be crowned champion at Circuit of the Americas if he extends his advantage to 125 points or more, based on the assumption that five rounds remain after Austin.
That margin required will shrink to just 100 points if Formula 1 opts to scrap the Qatar and Abu Dhabi double-header in favour of a single replacement race at Imola, a scenario still under consideration amid ongoing security concerns in the Middle East.
No final decision has yet been made, with clarity by mid-October expected given freight and logistical deadlines.
Asked how much he would allow himself to dream about clinching the championship in Austin, Antonelli struck a measured tone.
"For sure, but at the same time, I know it's very close; I know it's there, but I just need to make sure that I keep doing the best I can," he said to media, including RacingNews365.
"The mindset is always the same: to go out there and win and perform the best way I can."
Antonelli planning to 'reset' before COTA
Antonelli's third place in Singapore, where Russell could only manage ninth, has further cemented his position at the top of the standings on 340 points, with the Briton on 238.
Even a difficult weekend extended his lead, and the Italian now looks set to wrap up the title at COTA or, at the latest, in Mexico City.
The Mercedes driver was candid about his display in Singapore, where he finished on the podium despite admitting it was far from his sharpest weekend of the campaign.
"I think [in Singapore] I haven't particularly driven that well," Antonelli added. "I felt like I could have done a better job, but I feel confident that a week to reset [will help], and I'm really looking forward to being back in Austin.
"But at the end of the day, if I don't do my job well, then the result won't come. So in order to achieve what I want, I need to perform, as simple as that."
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Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes, Sam Coop and Nick Golding as they look back on last weekend's Singapore Grand Prix! Max Verstappen's Marina Bay masterclass is a lead talking point, as is F1's deadline approaching to make a call on how the 2026 season will end.
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