Leader of the championship with a 50-point lead, Kimi Antonelli gladly welcomes the summer break, even though he knows the desire to drive will return quickly.
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Kimi Antonelli can approach the summer break in a particularly comfortable position. After 11 Grands Prix, the Mercedes driver holds a 50-point lead in the championship, but this several-week interruption comes as he seeks to maintain his momentum in the race for his first world title.
The Italian has had a remarkable first half of the season, even though the competition has gradually closed in. After largely dominating the start of the championship, Mercedes now has to contend with the rise of Ferrari and McLaren.
Antonelli has only won one of the last five races. Despite this, he considers this break necessary after a particularly intense start to the year linked to the introduction of the new technical regulations.
“It’s been almost eight months at full throttle”
With preparations for the 2026 season having started particularly early, Antonelli acknowledges that the time has come to temporarily step away from Formula 1.
“I think this break is necessary. It’s been almost eight months at full throttle. When I think back, I believe I started my activities on January 3 this season. So it has been very intense.”
However, this is not the first long break the Mercedes driver has had to face this year. Before the Miami Grand Prix, four weeks had already separated two calendar events.
At the time, Antonelli was coming off a victory in Japan and feared that this long period without competition would break his momentum.
“Before Miami, I remember thinking: ‘Oh my God, four weeks off.’ I was coming out of Japan with good momentum and a win. I was thinking: ‘I really risk losing this momentum,’ because four weeks is a long time.”
A reassuring experience before the second half of the season
His worries quickly disappeared once back behind the wheel.
“I then remember arriving in Miami for the first practice session and immediately feeling very good in the car. I said to myself: ‘Okay, maybe I haven’t lost this momentum.'”
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An experience that now allows Antonelli to approach the summer break with more serenity.
“So I feel like the momentum will still be there. But I think this break is necessary, to have a real break and be able to disconnect a bit.”
The rest will be all the more precious as the second half of the season promises to be particularly intense. With a 50-point lead, Antonelli is in an ideal position to clinch his first world title, but Ferrari, McLaren, and his teammate George Russell will try to reduce their gap.
Antonelli already knows he will get bored quickly
Still, staying away from a track could quickly become difficult for the young Italian. Antonelli does not expect to enjoy his rest for very long before feeling the need to get back behind the wheel.
“Even though I’m sure that after three or four days, I’ll already be fed up. I’ll get bored and say: ‘I want to get back on a track.'”
However, he has already found a solution to satisfy his competitive urge during his vacation.
“Fortunately, where I’m going, there is a karting track. So I’ll be able to train.”
Antonelli still intends to take advantage of this period to truly recharge before the restart.
“On the other hand, it’s necessary to disconnect a bit, go out, enjoy family and friends. And simply recharge the body and mind overall to be ready for the second half of the season.”
With a first world title now clearly within reach, Antonelli knows that the weeks following the summer break could be decisive. The goal is therefore simple: to come back rested without losing the momentum that allowed him to take the lead in the championship.
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