Formula 1's champion-to-be Kimi Antonelli is a hard man to root against ... Just ask the drivers he shares the grid with.

Whether he's a guy with "a very good heart," "an old soul in a relatively young body" ... Or a youngster who has been "close to perfection" at most events this season, it is genuinely difficult to find, in the F1 paddock, a harsh word against the happy-go-lucky prodigy on the cusp of history.

Antonelli must finish ninth or higher at the Mexico City Grand Prix on Sunday to clinch the crown, although he wins regardless if Lewis Hamilton or George Russell do not win the race.

If he secures the title this weekend -- in his second season, no less -- 20-year-old Antonelli will become the youngest champion in F1 history.

Antonelli replaced Hamilton when the seven-time world champion went to Ferrari and Hamilton has been glowing in praise about his successor.

"He doesn't need any advice," Hamilton replied when asked if he had any wise words for Antonelli ahead of the United States Grand Prix, which the Italian went on to win comfortably to move to the brink of the title.

"I think he's shown this year, and also last year, but particularly this year, his talent and his ability, his calmness and his approach. He's done an amazing job this year, and I'm so proud of him. I'm so proud of the way he's carried himself, how he interacts with the drivers and even with you guys [the media]."

Antonelli's rookie season was a rollercoaster, especially in the middle of the campaign, when he struggled with a spate of mistakes and crashes.

One of the more publicised incidents was with Red Bull's Max Verstappen. The Dutchman notably defended Antonelli after the Italian driver smashed him out of the opening lap of last year's Austrian Grand Prix, one of the results which could be blamed for the Red Bull driver narrowly missing out on the title last year.

Verstappen has always voiced an appreciation for his title rival and is especially impressed with how Antonelli handles himself when he's not in the car.

"He's just a normal guy. He just acts [like] someone that doesn't feel like he's a rockstar, superstar, just very genuine," Verstappen said on Thursday.

"He has a very good heart. That's what I appreciate about him. He has a good family around him, also super nice, and I think for me that is just a very nice quality to have, also for later in life. He will achieve even more."

Antonelli's maiden F1 pole position and race victory at the Chinese Grand Prix in March set the tone for things to come.

As of Austin's United States Grand Prix, he now has nine race wins to his name, including Monza, where he became the first Italian winner of the Italian Grand Prix since 1966.

His on-track performances have been captivating this season. Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, considered by many to be the most all-round racing driver of the modern era, has been an admirer all year, albeit when he's not been focused on navigating through Aston Martin's horror season.

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The Spaniard said Antonelli's benchmark has been almost impossibly high.

"I didn't follow closely the championship battle because we are unfortunately a little bit far from that battle," Alonso said. "When I see the results on Sunday, he seems to perform always close to perfection. He never makes mistakes or has bad races. That consistency and winning spirit has been probably the best thing about this year for him.

"Execution, weekend-after-weekend, close to perfection. Great championship. He will become champion this weekend."

Alonso added: "Incredible place to become champion in Mexico and to have a celebration on Sunday night. Hopefully we can go to the party."

Many had come into the season expecting Antonelli might play second fiddle to his more experienced teammate, Russell, who entered 2026 as preseason favourite.

That inevitably raised fears at Mercedes of a repeat of some of the more difficult moments caused by having two warring teammates, as was the case when Hamilton was paired with Nico Rosberg in a title-winning car between 2014 and 2016.

However, bar his dominant win at the Australian Grand Prix and victories in Austira and Baku, Russell has struggled to match Antonelli for much of the campaign.

While Russell has had bad luck this year, he has repeatedly paid tribute to what his young teammate has done, including on Thursday ahead of Mexico's likely title decider. The two have managed to keep a good relationship.

"On a personal level, Kimi is a great guy," Russell said this week. "We have had no reason not to continue a great relationship. The truth is, he has been at a higher level than me this season."

Antonelli's dominant year will see him replace McLaren's Lando Norris as world champion. Norris' title defence has been an underwhelming one; the Brit only managed a victory either side of the summer break, in Hungary and the Netherlands, but McLaren has otherwise not looked like a legitimate title threat.

Norris won his championship in a fight which went right to the wire last season against McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri and the chasing Red Bull of Verstappen.

Antonelli's, by contrast, has been fairly routine. Should he get it done on Sunday, he will have wrapped up the title with four races to spare. Asked whether Antonelli has had it easier than him this season, Norris dismissed the suggestion immediately. As with the rest of the grid, he quickly paid tribute to what Antonelli's done on track and how he's been away from it.

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"He's going to win the world championship," Norris told Sky Sports. "I don't think anyone really cares how you do it, honestly. They shouldn't. He's done an incredible job and I would say he's done it in a pretty incredible way.

"People are saying he hasn't had any tough competition this year, but that proves exactly the point that he's done such an incredible job He's got a very, very talented teammate that he's beaten through the whole season. I have nothing but respect for Kimi and he's a very, very nice guy.

"We get along very well and I'm more than happy to pass the No. 1 over to him. He deserves it. He's done an incredible job, especially in [his] second year in Formula 1, to be the youngest world champion, all of these things that he's going to achieve.

"That's pretty insane. So I'm more than happy. I enjoy seeing other people have that kind of success so it's nice to see."

Antonelli and friend and Formula 2 teammate Oliver Bearman arrived in Formula 1 together as rookies in 2025.

Theirs is a quirky dynamic: English driver Bearman was a Ferrari junior who landed at Haas, while Antonelli ended up at the English-based Mercedes F1 team.

Bearman, who looks set to stay with Haas for another season while he waits for a Ferrari opportunity to open up, said it was always obvious Antonelli was destined for big things.

"The first race that we had together was in F4," Bearman said. "We had a few together there, as he just did the last few in the season. After that, we were teammates in F2. I have a lot of good memories together with him, of course. I maintained a good relationship with him throughout our time as teammates.

"It was a tough year, to be honest, but we enjoyed it in F2. I think especially in the situation I'm in now, with a car that isn't fast enough to score great points and good results, that season definitely taught me a lot, and I'm sure he would say the same thing.

"It was very clear that he was quick and a competitive driver, a quick learner as well. So I'm not surprised to see him competitive.

"His talent is undeniable."