Kimi Antonelli is on the verge of becoming a Formula 1 world champion, but the Mercedes driver was still spotted by fans making a faux pas in the car park, proving that even the most talented of drivers sometimes make a mistake.

The young Italian drove to the Circuit of the Americas this weekend in a personalised Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe thanks to the team's partnership with MANUFAKTUR. But as he reversed into a parking space alongside his team-mate George Russell's car of the same model, he went a little too far and hit the wooden fence behind him.

The damage was minor, but Antonelli showed off for the crowds and performed a burnout, flooding the area with tyre smoke.

It was a rare slip on a weekend where the 20-year-old has otherwise looked sharp. Antonelli goes into qualifying knowing that he could be crowned F1 champion this week. While it's highly unlikely, it's proof of a brilliant season from a driver who only joined the championship last year.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Photo by: Bryn Lennon / Formula 1 via Getty Images

Mercedes has introduced a new front wing to complement the upgrade package it brought to Malaysia. Antonelli ran that package in Singapore while Russell stayed on the old specification for comparison, but both drivers have the full latest package this weekend.

“Since Singapore we were able to analyse the data and understand better what this package needs,” Antonelli said. “We’re still trying to find how to put the car in the right window, but we’ve been taking steps forward and we’ll see what we can do to improve even more.”

Antonelli arrives at Sunday’s race with a 102-point lead over Russell, and could become the youngest world champion in F1 history. To clinch the title in Austin, he needs to win, with Russell finishing ninth or lower and Lewis Hamilton fifth or lower.