Antonelli shrugs off title talk as Mercedes star keeps focus on driving

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Kimi Antonelli is increasingly being tipped as a potential Formula One world champion, but the Mercedes driver insists he is determined to block out the growing speculation and concentrate solely on his performances on track.

The 20-year-old Italian arrived at the Spanish Grand Prix on Thursday still basking in the glory of a remarkable home victory at Monza last Sunday.

Antonelli produced one of the standout drives of the season, charging from 19th on the grid to win the Italian Grand Prix after engine-related penalties had forced him to start near the back.

With thousands of passionate Italian fans celebrating his breakthrough triumph, Antonelli described the occasion as the best day of his life — “so far”.

The celebrations continued after the race, with the young Mercedes star admitting that eating spaghetti from the winner’s silver trophy was another memorable part of the experience.

Antonelli also revealed that his phone had been flooded with messages following his victory, including one from MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi.

Despite the attention and mounting championship talk, Antonelli remains determined not to get carried away.

With the season still offering plenty of opportunities and challenges, the Mercedes driver said his priority was to remain focused on driving rather than allowing title ambitions to become a distraction.
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