Formula 1 News

'Chucky' Verstappen is back. Luckily for Antonelli and Mercedes, it's too late

Max Verstappen has won two races in a row, and if there was more of the F1 season left, championship leader Kimi Antonelli would have reason to worry.

· 1 min read
Originally reported by ESPN
'Chucky' Verstappen is back. Luckily for Antonelli and Mercedes, it's too late
Photo: ESPN

Kimi Antonelli: What Happened

ESPN reported on Saturday, October 17, 2026 in a story involving Kimi Antonelli, Chucky' Verstappen, Max Verstappen. Here is how the report opens:

Max Verstappen has won two races in a row, and if there was more of the F1 season left, championship leader Kimi Antonelli would have reason to worry.

— ESPN

It is one of many Formula 1 stories we are following today. Below are the key takeaways, how the story is being reported across the sport, background on Kimi Antonelli and what to watch next.

Key Takeaways

  • The story: 'Chucky' Verstappen is back. Luckily for Antonelli and Mercedes, it's too late
  • Who’s involved: Kimi Antonelli, Chucky' Verstappen, Max Verstappen and Luckily
  • League: Formula 1
  • First reported: Saturday, October 17, 2026 by ESPN

Background: Kimi Antonelli

Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Italian: [anˈdrɛːa ˈkiːmi antoˈnɛlli]; born 25 August 2006) is an Italian racing driver who competes in Formula One for Mercedes. Antonelli has won nine Formula One Grands Prix since his debut in 2025.

Born and raised in Bologna, Antonelli is the son of sportscar racing driver Marco Antonelli. After a successful karting career—culminating in back-to-back victories at the senior European Championship in 2020 and 2021—Antonelli graduated to junior formulae.

Text from Wikipedia’s Kimi Antonelli article, CC BY-SA 4.0.

What’s Next for Kimi Antonelli

For fans following Kimi Antonelli, the next things to watch are the race results, qualifying, driver standings and constructors’ championship. Stories like this one tend to move quickly, so check back for follow-up reports and reaction as more outlets pick it up.

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Wolff hails Antonelli’s ‘best race’ in Austin

Toto Wolff has explained why he rates Kimi Antonelli’s dominant United States Grand Prix victory as his “best race” yet, while offering an insight into the championship leader’s relaxed mindset.

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Russell: P2 in title race 'doesn't mean anything'

George Russell says finishing second in the championship would not mean anything as boss Toto Wolff hit back at suggestions that the British driver may never get another shot at the title.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened with Kimi Antonelli?

Max Verstappen has won two races in a row, and if there was more of the F1 season left, championship leader Kimi Antonelli would have reason to worry. ESPN reported the story on Saturday, October 17, 2026.

Who reported this F1 story?

ESPN first reported it on Saturday, October 17, 2026. ForTheFans summarizes it here with background and related Formula 1 news.

Where can I get the latest Formula 1 news today?

The ForTheFans Formula 1 page collects every F1 headline as it breaks, including race results, qualifying and driver standings, with live scores on our scores page.

Summarized by ForTheFans from reporting by ESPN. Headlines, quoted text and photos belong to their publishers. How we report

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