Kimi Antonelli likes to make sure his car is clean. Even before a trip that is likely to end with him becoming Formula 1's youngest world champion, he cannot bring himself to leave before he's completed a familiar ritual: a visit to the car wash in his road car, a Mercedes GT63. The Italian washes it by hand, meticulously, inside and out. Only then can he travel to his next Formula 1 race.
Asked whether he times himself at the car wash, the 20-year-old laughed. "I take my time because it needs to be done well," he said. "It needs to be dried well, because if you don't dry it well and there's still some water on it, then it looks dirty."
Antonelli's journey has rarely been about taking his time. The U.S. Grand Prix on Oct. 26 will be the first chance in his career to win the Formula 1 world drivers' championship, though a title could also come in Mexico City, Brazil or the season-ending triple header. His lead is so large that he is almost certain to become the sport's youngest-ever world champion within two months, in only his second season in Formula 1.
Keeping things normal has been a challenge. Antonelli has become a superstar in Italy, cemented by his victory from 19th on the grid at the Italian Grand Prix, the first Italian winner of that race since 1966. He would also become the first Italian world champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953. "I try to realise the least as possible," he said. "Whenever I go back home, I want to feel as normal as possible."
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing