Antonelli treats season's end as start of title defence

Kimi Antonelli has signalled that his approach to the closing rounds of the 2026 season has shifted. According to BBC Sport, the Bologna-born driver, who clinched the world championship at 20 years old, is treating the remaining races as the opening salvo of his defence. Antonelli's statement reflects a mindset common among newly crowned champions: the season does not end when the title is secured, but rather transforms into preparation for the next.

The psychological and strategic dimensions of this approach are substantial. A driver who has just won the title faces a different set of pressures in the remaining races — the weight of expectation, the need to establish patterns and rhythms that carry forward, and the opportunity to gather data on car setup and performance as teams prepare for the following year. For Antonelli, the final races offer a chance to solidify the consistency that carried him to an early championship.