Author of an exceptional start to the season with Mercedes, Kimi Antonelli is already impressing the entire paddock. But Juan Pablo Montoya believes the hardest part now begins for the young Italian.
Kimi Antonelli continues to break records in his first full season in Formula 1. At only 19 years and eight months old, the Mercedes driver has become the youngest championship leader in history after a series of impressive performances.
Winner in China, Japan, and then Miami, the Italian has made a huge impact in this start to the 2026 championship. In Florida, he even secured a third consecutive victory after starting from pole position, a very rare statistic for a rookie in F1.
Thanks to this momentum, Antonelli now holds a 20-point lead over his teammate George Russell in the drivers’ standings. This situation is naturally starting to attract growing attention around Mercedes’ young prodigy.
But while the paddock is already excited about the one presented as the future face of the sport, Juan Pablo Montoya prefers to call for caution.
Montoya warns: “The pressure will get stronger”
The former Williams and McLaren driver believes the real challenge for Antonelli will come as the season progresses, when expectations become higher and higher.
“It’s very good for him right now, but the hardest part is that the pressure will increase throughout the year and it will become more and more complicated” Montoya explained to RacingNews365.
The Colombian nevertheless thinks Antonelli could build a valuable margin before the most delicate moments of the season.
“I hope for him that he will already have a comfortable lead by then” he added.
Montoya also believes that certain circumstances helped the young driver during the first races, even though he fully acknowledges his talent.
“In China, George probably should have won. In Japan, Kimi was a bit faster than Russell, but he also benefited from the timing of the safety car. Everything aligned for him” he analyzes.
Regarding Miami, however, the former Grand Prix winner admits that Antonelli completely mastered his subject.
“In Miami, he really dominated and did a very good job. I think Lando Norris was faster at the end of the race, but he couldn’t overtake him.”
Mercedes is already monitoring the hype around its prodigy
Faced with the huge hype now surrounding Antonelli, Toto Wolff knows he will have to protect his driver to avoid excessive pressure. Mercedes has already experienced this kind of situation in the past with Lewis Hamilton, and the German team seems determined to manage the progress of its new phenomenon wisely.
For Montoya, Antonelli has a major advantage: his technical environment at Mercedes.
“I think his group of engineers, Bono and the whole team, have already experienced this kind of situation several times” he explains.
Engineer Peter Bonnington, famous for his collaboration with Michael Schumacher and then Lewis Hamilton, plays a key role in supporting the young Italian.
“They know exactly what to do and that makes things much easier for him” Montoya continues.
Despite everything, the upcoming races could quickly show if Antonelli is already ready to bear the weight of a fight for the world title. The Canadian Grand Prix is notably expected to be a first real test in this battle that is already starting to captivate Formula 1.