World championship leader with a 59-point lead, Kimi Antonelli believes that a profound change in his mental approach partly explains his transformation this season.
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The Mercedes driver has learned to seek performance less at all costs and to enjoy his driving more, a philosophy that paradoxically allows him to exploit his full potential more easily.
With six wins and six other podiums this season, Antonelli shows a very different face from his first year in Formula 1. In 2025, his speed was obvious, but it was accompanied by mistakes and difficult periods inherent to learning at the highest level.
Enjoying driving to unlock performance
This season, the 20-year-old Italian (as of a few days ago) appears much calmer. Even when his weekends do not go perfectly, he manages to limit the consequences and bounce back, as shown by his third place in Hungary and then his second position in Zandvoort.
One of the keys to this evolution came from advice received from other athletes. Antonelli retained a particularly simple idea: “Always stay yourself and be able to enjoy it as well.”
This philosophy has gradually changed his way of approaching race weekends. Antonelli understood that a constant search for perfection could generate tension and ultimately prevent him from fully exploiting his car.
“When you understand that you also have to enjoy yourself, it makes a difference because it helps you, at least in my case, to drive more relaxed, to enjoy driving more, to better feel the car and then, naturally, performance comes much more easily,” he explains.
Not letting yourself get destabilized
Conversely, constantly trying to go even faster can have the opposite effect: “When you are constantly searching for it and you drive tensely, it’s completely different. But you obviously have to try to stay yourself, always keep your goal in mind and also try to see the positive to take from it, even in a bad situation.”
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Antonelli also applies this approach when a weekend goes wrong: “Even when something goes wrong, there is always something positive. You can find it and it can help you progress.”
This ability not to let a mistake or difficulty compromise an entire weekend is one of the main differences from his rookie season. This new approach will be particularly tested at the next Italian Grand Prix. Antonelli will return to Monza as the championship leader and main Italian hope in front of a largely supportive crowd.
The experience had been much more complicated in 2025. The Mercedes driver retired at Imola before finishing only ninth at Monza, while the immense media attention surrounding his two home races added extra pressure to his first season.
A different Antonelli arrives at Monza
Twelve months later, Antonelli says he is much better prepared: “I am very excited. I think the atmosphere will be incredible and it will be very different from last year. I clearly arrive with a different attitude, a different mindset and I really feel that I will be able to enjoy the weekend much more. I really can’t wait to go back.”
The challenge will nevertheless be considerable. Mercedes must install a new power unit on his car, which will result in a significant grid penalty for his home race. Antonelli will therefore probably have to make a comeback while trying to protect his championship lead.
Between the pressure of the Italian crowd, the stakes of the title and his engine penalty, Monza will be a real test of his new philosophy. But Antonelli now seems to have understood that to fully exploit his speed, he sometimes has to stop seeking it at all costs.
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