Who helps Kimi Antonelli keep his feet on the ground while racking up victories?

F1 championship leader Kimi Antonelli explains how his entourage and Mercedes help him keep his feet on the ground.

With five consecutive victories in Formula 1Kimi Antonelli now approaches each Grand Prix as the man to beat. Having further cemented his lead in the championship after his victory in Monaco, the Italian impresses as much by his results as by the maturity he displays, race after race, at the start of the 2026 season.

But beyond his on-track performances, it is above all the Italian's personality that stands out. Going against the grain of the image often shaped by the champions who preceded him, Antonelli maintains a rare simplicity, and above all an impressive ability to keep his feet on the ground at the young age of 19.

In Spain, on the eve of the Barcelona Grand Prix, he was asked a question about this atypical personality at a press conference. His answer first referred to his roots: “It comes from my family, of course. My father is a real pillar of support for me; I know I can count on him in any situation. Along with my mother, they are the two people who know me best.” he says. They always guided me in the right direction, especially when I started to stray from it.

In addition to this family setting, there is the entire network of people he has at home. Mercedes Benz for many years. A member of the Silver Arrows' youth system since 2018, Antonelli grew up within this meticulously structured environment. Toto wolffwhich he joined at the highest level last year: "The team supported me through thick and thin. Bono [Peter Bonnington], Toto… everyone was with me on this journey."

Antonelli refuses to be compared to Senna

This environment plays a key role in his management of a high-pressure start to the season. At Mercedes, Toto Wolff is particularly careful to protect his driver from media frenzy and to maintain a crucial balance in the title fight.

Despite already having a significant lead over Lewis Hamilton And after six rounds with George Russell, Antonelli is therefore maintaining a cautious approach: "The work is not finished. We must continue to push." At the start of the season, I told myself I needed to make the most of every weekend. And when I do, I'm able to extract more performance. I drive more relaxed, less tense than last year. I focus solely on what I have to do, without worrying about anything else.

This precocious maturity also fuels comparisons with the greatest players in the sport, starting with Ayrton Senna. However, he still rejects this analogy: “I don’t like this comparison. We’re talking about someone who has made history in sports, and I haven’t accomplished anything comparable yet. It’s not fair. And yes, he’s my idol, someone who inspires me. But honestly, I just feel it’s not really fair to compare me to him, especially at this stage of my career, because it’s only the beginning and I still have so much to achieve, so much to do, and so much to improve. And I feel like I’m still very far from his level.”

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