Leader of the championship with a 59-point lead, Kimi Antonelli believes that the difficult moments experienced in 2025 were essential to his incredible progress.
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Kimi Antonelli is transitioning within a few months from the status of a young prodigy in training to a major favorite for the world title. After twelve rounds, the Mercedes driver already has a 59-point lead over his closest pursuers, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton.
A situation that strongly contrasts with his first season in Formula 1. In 2025, the Italian had experienced several particularly difficult periods after promising beginnings, especially during the European tour.
Far from having forgotten these difficulties, Antonelli now considers them one of the main reasons for his spectacular progress.
Antonelli already has a considerable lead
With 242 points scored after twelve Grands Prix, Antonelli has a comfortable lead in the championship.
Russell and Hamilton are tied with 183 points, 59 points behind. The Italian’s advantage is further strengthened by the number of wins, a criterion that would separate the drivers in case of a points tie at the end of the season.
Antonelli has already won six Grands Prix this year, compared to two for Russell and only one for Hamilton.
Even if the hierarchy seems to be gradually evolving with the strong return of McLaren, the Mercedes driver remains in a particularly favorable position to win his first world title in only his second season in Formula 1.
A success that would also allow him to enter directly into the history of the discipline.
Vettel’s record seriously threatened
If Antonelli becomes world champion this season, he will shatter the record for the youngest champion in history.
Sebastian Vettel has held this record since 2010. The German won his first title with Red Bull at the age of 23.
Antonelli is only 20.
The Mercedes driver could therefore improve this record by more than three years, a performance that would give an additional historic dimension to his 2026 campaign.
But despite his significant lead, the Italian refuses to consider the championship already won.
“The work is not finished yet,” he insists to F1.com.
“We are only halfway through the season. There are still many things that need to happen and many goals to achieve.”
A much more difficult 2025 season
This caution is explained notably by the experience gained during his first year in Formula 1.
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Promoted to Mercedes in 2025, Antonelli had quickly demonstrated his potential before experiencing a much more delicate period when the championship returned to Europe.
Errors and inconsistent performances then multiplied. Toto Wolff was even particularly critical after his Italian Grand Prix, calling his home performance disappointing.
These difficult moments could have weakened such a young driver. Antonelli believes on the contrary that they accelerated his learning.
“Experience plays a huge role,” he acknowledges.
“Obviously, I still have a lot of experience to gain, but I think last year, despite all the bad moments and difficult periods, it was exactly what I needed.”
“It made me mentally stronger”
In hindsight, Antonelli therefore considers his difficult rookie season as an essential step in his progress.
“It helped me grow even more than I had imagined,” he explains.
But this evolution did not only concern his driving or his technical understanding of the car.
“It made me emotionally and mentally stronger.”
A progress that is directly reflected in his results. Since that difficult period, the young Italian has chained podiums and victories with impressive consistency.
In his last 20 races, Antonelli has stood on the podium twelve times and won seven times, including an impressive streak of five consecutive wins between China and Monaco.
Difficulties turned into a strength in the title race
Pressure will however continue to increase during the second half of the season.
Mercedes has lost part of the advantage it had at the start of the year and McLaren has just won two consecutive Grands Prix with Lando Norris. Antonelli himself acknowledged at Zandvoort that his team probably no longer has the fastest car.
His lead remains significant though. Russell and Hamilton are 59 points behind, while Norris is still 83 points adrift despite his recent comeback.
Antonelli knows better than anyone that a season can quickly change direction.
The “bad moments” that marked his first campaign in Formula 1 have today become one of his main strengths. And if he manages to turn this experience into a world title, the Italian could become at only 20 years old the youngest champion in the entire history of Formula 1.
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