Antonelli details rituals, pranks and title mindset before Austin

Finished third in Singapore ahead of Austin decider

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated 1h1 min read

🧽 Hand washing his car as a ritual 🧁 Prank wars with Mercedes 🤗 Teaching Bono to enjoy hugs 🍀 The tear-off superstition Via @LukeSmithF1 on X

What happened: Kimi Antonelli described hand-washing his car as a ritual and a tear-off superstition in a free-to-read interview with The Athletic. He also discussed prank exchange with George Russell at Mercedes and teaching engineer Bono to accept hugs.

Why it matters: Antonelli arrives at Circuit of the Americas in championship contention after a podium in Singapore. Mercedes opens a triple-header with title math back in play, raising the stakes around his approach to managing anxiety and a step forward in 2026.

By the numbers: Singapore final: P1 Max Verstappen, P2 Charles Leclerc, P3 Kimi Antonelli, P4 Lando Norris, P5 Oscar Piastri. Antonelli qualified P4 behind Verstappen, Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.

What to watch: F1 moves to the United States Grand Prix in Austin to open a triple-header with the championship still to be decided.

Sources

@LukeSmithF1 2026-10-20T15:33:56.034338+00:00

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