Mercedes Deputy Team Principal Bradley Lord does not want his team to focus on Kimi Antonelli's potential 'match point' at the US Grand Prix, where he could secure the 2026 drivers' title.

Antonelli could secure his first drivers' title next week at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. The young Italian is currently 102 points ahead of his teammate George Russell in the standings. If he extends his lead to more than 125 points by next Sunday, he will mathematically secure the F1 title.

Lord does not want to consider that possibility just yet, saying that Antonelli has only a slim chance of securing the title once the chequered flag falls at the American circuit.

He said on the NU Silver Arrows Radio Show: "I was going to say we're in that very uncomfortable phase of the season where you have to navigate the Thursday media with everyone saying, "Oh, you could do it. Oh, you could do it. You've got a first match point."

"And people love this tennis comparison of match points, don't they? But I think there's something like a one-in-25 chance of that being remotely possible in Austin. So, I think just eliminating that from the questions that will come, and with the answers that need to be given."

Photo: Race Pictures

Mercedes aware of Red Bull and Ferrari's recent performance

Lord highlighted that Mercedes cannot rest on its laurels. Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing won the last two Grands Prix, and Ferrari also showed improved pace with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc finishing on the podium once each.

He continued: "Our focus is how can we get the car in its sweet spot and then go and score as many points as possible. Obviously, as a team, there is the picture of the Drivers' Championship. But more importantly, we've lost ground to Red Bull and to Ferrari in the last couple of events in the Constructors' Championship.

"So there's a healthy advantage, but absolutely nothing is done or dusted. And we just need to focus on getting both cars to the finish as high up as possible. That sounds so banal, but it's our job each race weekend."

In the constructors’ standings, Mercedes currently leads Ferrari by 134 points and Red Bull Racing by 246 points. McLaren sits in third place, 239 points behind the championship leaders.

Lord also took time to praise his entire team, given how demanding the past weeks have been for everyone. "I would also say maintaining the operational effectiveness and slickness that we've seen over the last tripleheader, probably the most demanding three races in terms of conditions in the garage, temperature, humidity and everything else.

"Even in Singapore, we saw the team, even with changes in the pit crew, and we had people in the pit crew who hadn't done a live pit stop for 15 years, who were subbed in because of injuries and things like that. And we were the quickest team through the pit lane, delivered the fastest stop for the second weekend in a row. And that just shows the level that the team operationally is working at.

"That's really, really encouraging to see as you come into the really tough bit, the real grind at the end of the season. Long trips away, away from home, away from family, but just really operating at an incredibly high level. And yeah, that was quite a feather in the cap of the team in the garage, and the pit stop crew to be really nailing those stops at every single race weekend," he concluded.