Kimi Antonelli reflects on his performance after two victories: "I really feel like I have a better grasp of the situation."

The comparison between Kimi Antonelli in 2025 and 2026 is striking. Last year, the Italian arrived in F1 at 18 as a replacement for Lewis Hamilton, leaving for Classic Ferrari for salewithout a single kilometer of racing in the premier class. While he initially impressed by being the only rookie to finish the Melbourne Grand Prix in the rain—Ollie Bearman not being considered a rookie after his two replacements in 2024—his season subsequently experienced some turbulence: accidents, poor qualifying performances, and reliability issues fueled a mid-year slump, before two podium finishes in the last four races to turn things around. A chaotic first season, but one rich in lessons, which Toto wolff had nevertheless deemed it sufficient to maintain his confidence in the young driver.

By 2026, the picture is radically different. New technical regulations have reshuffled the deck, and Mercedes Benz Mercedes is the big winner: the German team has won all three Grands Prix and the Sprint race held so far, marking a near-perfect start to the season. Antonelli finished second in Australia behind Russell, before reversing the order in China and then winning in Japan, where his teammate finished fourth. He now leads the championship by nine points over the other Mercedes driver and becomes the youngest driver in Formula 1 history to ever lead the standings.

A very good start to the season

When questioned by the official F1 website after his victory in Japan about the extent of his progress, Antonelli was direct: "It's a big step forward. Experience counts for a lot. Obviously, I went through a lot of challenges last year, and that taught me far more than I expected; it's definitely helping me this year. Of course, there's still a lot of work to do, but I really feel like I have a better handle on things." The mastery he demonstrates this season contrasts sharply with the approximations of 2025.

In qualifying, race management, and his interactions with the team, Antonelli gives the impression of a driver who has absorbed a year of intense learning and is now reaping the benefits. He readily acknowledges the role the car plays in this success: “The car is helping me a lot, and I’m going to try to be ready and give it my all, because this is the kind of opportunity that doesn’t come around every day. So I’m obviously very, very grateful to the team for the car they’ve provided us so far, and I just need to stay focused.” A humility, whether it is superficial or sincere, which sends a clear message: the Italian knows that he is operating in a window of rare opportunities and intends not to waste it.

Russell still ahead in qualifying, the battle is on!

Despite this dominant start to the season, Antonelli is not complacent and identifies precisely the area where Russell retains the advantage according to the young driver. "I think he still has the advantage in qualifying, especially in Q3. He always manages to find that little extra something that I'm still missing, but that's what I'm working on. On the other hand, in terms of race pace, I think we have a very good base." A clear observation which nevertheless seems to contradict the hierarchy observed over the first three rounds: No. 12 has secured one more pole position than his teammate so far.

Regarding Russell himself, the tone is respectful and unambiguous: "I think he's clearly an extremely strong and very complete driver. I think he proved that time and again last year, and that's why it's not going to be easy, and that's why I have to do everything in the most perfect way possible." This statement speaks volumes about Antonelli's mindset: aware of his teammate's value, he doesn't seek to downplay internal competition, but rather to use it as a benchmark for improvement. Russell demonstrated in 2025 that he was capable of consistently performing at a very high level, and it is precisely this consistency that Antonelli aims to achieve.

The next round at the Miami Grand Prix (May 1-3), the fourth round of the season, will be another test to gauge the Italian's progress — a circuit where he outperformed his British teammate in the 2025 edition. If Mercedes maintains its current level of performance, the internal duel between the two drivers promises to be one of the major storylines of this 2026 season.

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