Antonelli confident about Mercedes' Las Vegas prospects

13:03, 15 Nov

byBen Winship

Kimi Antonelli is confident about Mercedes’ chances at the Las Vegas GP.

The Mercedes rookie is hoping to replicate his strong performance in Brazil, finishing a career-best P2 in Sunday’s Grand Prix.

The 19-year-old Italian recently resigned for Mercedes for 2026 alongside George Russell, who Antonelli has got the better of in the last two race weekends.

When asked after the Brazil GP about his and Mercedes’ chances in Las Vegas, Antonelli said: “Very hopeful. As a team, we said we're going to try to do everything that we did last year with the car.

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“Even though it's a different car compared to last year, many things have changed, so it doesn't mean that if we were quick last year, we're going to be quick this year.

“I think as a team we'll try to put the car in the best spot possible, and as a driver I'll try to deliver the best performance possible.”

Mercedes dominated last year’s Las Vegas GP, with George Russell converting pole position into a commanding victory. Lewis Hamilton fought back from P10 on the grid to seal a 1-2 for the Brackley-based team.

Norris anticipates strong Mercedes challenge

Antonelli finished second to Lando Norris in every one of the Sprint weekend’s competitive sessions in Brazil.

Brazil Gp podium - Photo: Race Pictures

Norris revealed after the race that he expects Mercedes to be strong again in Las Vegas, a track where McLaren have historically been quite poor.

In 2023 McLaren scored just two points courtesy of Oscar Piastri, with Norris crashing out early on after losing control over the bumps. In 2024 McLaren finished a distant P6 and P7 over 40 seconds back from the lead.

Norris can rule Verstappen out of contention for the 2025 title if he outscores him by 10 points or more in Las Vegas.

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