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Listen to the article3 min, read by a synthetic voice

In brief

  • Il Fatto Quotidiano reports third in the race on Sunday, 11 October 2026, while Fanpage reports second. He started seventh in the sprint qualifying and is the championship leader, according to Fanpage.

  • Four infractions were flagged against Antonelli in Singapore, and after an FIA review one was not counted, leaving three. The fourth infraction would have brought a five-second penalty.

  • Toto Wolff joked that he would put a hotel pillow under Antonelli's seat so he could see the road, and called his driving mature and solid after three track-limit strikes.

  • An 11-year-old Mercedes Junior Academy karter won the FIA Karting World Cup OK-N category in Viterbo on Sunday, 11 October 2026, winning every heat and the final by more than five seconds.

Singapore
Austin · Singapore, United States

Singapore podium and the points lead

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the 20-year-old Mercedes driver, finished on the podium of the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday, 11 October 2026. Sources disagree on the exact place: Il Fatto Quotidiano reports third in the race, while Fanpage describes a second-place finish that added to his points tally. Il Fatto Quotidiano says he started seventh in the sprint qualifying and turned that into a stronger race result, calling the drive a test of maturity. His teammate George Russell finished ninth after starting from the back of the grid, a drive Il Fatto Quotidiano described as colourless.

Track limits and the pillow joke

Drivers may leave the track at certain points up to three times, and the fourth infraction brings a five-second penalty. Antonelli already took such a penalty earlier this year. In Singapore four infractions were flagged against him, but after an FIA review one was judged not countable, leaving three, and he finished with three. Toto Wolff joked after the race that he would put a hotel pillow under Antonelli's seat so he could see the road better, then said the aim was simply to seat him higher. Wolff said the driver had run with three strikes for a long stretch, which added stress but also showed how hard he was pushing. Wolff also praised the driving as mature and solid, calling the handling of a difficult car after the latest update a good sign.

Track-limit infractions against Antonelli in Singaporeinfractions
Flagged in Singapore4
Counted after FIA review3
Flagged in Singapore
4 infractions
Counted after FIA review
3 infractions

Data from the article text

Title race

Both outlets say the championship could be settled at the next round in Austin. Fanpage describes Antonelli as the championship leader and the 20-year-old who would become world champion at that age. Il Fatto Quotidiano frames his maturity as the key to handling the anxiety of a title that is now very close. It also describes the car as sensitive and unpredictable after the latest package of updates, which makes managing track limits harder.

Locked out of the paddock

Fanpage reports that Antonelli was shut out of the paddock in Singapore while trying to return with a Mercedes team member. The security staff did not recognise him, and his attempt to identify himself as a Formula 1 driver did not work. The gate opened only after Max Verstappen arrived a few minutes later, and security let Antonelli in behind him. Fanpage says the episode amused fans, who found it surreal.

A Mercedes karting prospect

Il Giornale profiles an 11-year-old in the Mercedes Junior Academy who won the FIA Karting World Cup OK-N category in Viterbo on the same Sunday as the Singapore race. The boy won every heat and took the final with a lead of more than five seconds. He races for Kart Republic with Dino Chiesa, and his father Alessandro, a rally driver, put him behind the wheel at three years old. Il Giornale frames him as Mercedes' next young talent after Antonelli.

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Sources and context

  • il Giornale.iton 13 Oct at 06:57Niccolò iridato kart. Dopo Kimi, la Mercedes culla un altro baby
  • Il Fatto Quotidianoon 12 Oct at 15:30Antonelli e i track limits, Wolff scherza: "Gli metto un cuscino"
  • Fanpageon 12 Oct at 15:04Kimi Antonelli resta chiuso fuori a Singapore e prova a convincere la sicurezza: "Sono un pilota di F1
Andrea Kimi Antonelli
20-year-old Mercedes Formula 1 driver and championship leader at the Singapore Grand Prix
Toto Wolff
Mercedes figure who joked about Antonelli's track-limit infractions and praised his driving
Max Verstappen
Formula 1 driver whose arrival at the Singapore paddock gate allowed Antonelli to enter
George Russell
Mercedes driver who finished ninth in the Singapore race after starting from the back of the grid

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Published on 13 Oct at 09:07.

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Text generated by AI from the reports of the publishers listed and checked automatically, with no human editor. How Pollar is made

In this text

Singapore podium and the points leadSingapore podium and the points leadTrack limits and the pillow jokeTrack limits and the pillow jokeTitle raceTitle raceLocked out of the paddockLocked out of the paddockA Mercedes karting prospectA Mercedes karting prospect

Based on reports by

il Giornale.it, Il Fatto Quotidiano, Fanpage

List of sources

Motorsport · Singapore and Austin

Antonelli on the Singapore podium, with Wolff's cushion joke over track limits

Antonelli finished on the Singapore Grand Prix podium on Sunday, 11 October 2026, while Mercedes managed a track-limit count that could have cost him five seconds. Sources differ on whether he finished second or third, and the title could be settled at Austin.

Singapore

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AI text based on reports by il Giornale.it, Il Fatto Quotidiano and Fanpage. Published on 13 Oct at 09:07.

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