Verstappen, not Russell, biggest 2027 threat - Antonelli

2026 world champion Kimi Antonelli believes Max Verstappen will be his toughest rival in 2027, although he also expects Mercedes teammate George Russell to become a stronger and more consistent challenger.

Speaking to Italian media in San Marino, where he lives, the 20-year-old warned that defending his title could be considerably harder than winning it.

"If I had to pick a driver who will cause the most problems, it would be Max Verstappen," Antonelli said, according to Corriere della Sera.

"Verstappen, Norris, Hamilton, Leclerc: all the drivers from the top teams, including my teammate Russell, who will be more consistently at his level."

"It will be a very close fight - we’re already very close," the Italian added. "Red Bull and McLaren have improved, Ferrari is still there."

He also expects the revised 2027 regulations to introduce further uncertainty.

"It will be like starting from scratch," he said.

"It will be interesting to see who has done the best job and how the cars perform."

Despite securing the championship in Mexico, Antonelli insists his motivation has only increased.

"Despite the victory, I’m perhaps even hungrier than before," he said.

"This is just the beginning. The hunger is there, the fire is there."

He also wants Mercedes to finish the current season strongly, particularly as its rivals have steadily closed the gap.

"We’re not as dominant as we were at the start of the season," said Antonelli.

"It’s difficult to say whether we’ll be able to replicate that with the budget cap and the wind tunnel time limits, which are fewer for us now that we’ve won," Antonelli said.

The Italian also admitted he had hoped the season would conclude at Imola rather than Abu Dhabi.

"It would be wonderful to have Imola back as a permanent fixture on the calendar, rather than just as a reserve," he said.