At just 18, Kimi Antonelli has faced a whirlwind of emotions in his debut Formula 1 season with Mercedes, stepping into the colossal void left by seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
The young Italian, promoted to the big time after a single Formula 2 campaign, has shown flashes of brilliance but admits he’s still grappling with unlocking his full potential, particularly in qualifying.
In an in-depth interview conducted at the Belgian Grand Prix last month, Antonelli reflected on his progress, struggles, and the elusive key to mastering single-lap pace.
A Promising Start with Highs and Lows
Antonelli’s rookie season began with a standout fourth-place finish in a rain-soaked Australian Grand Prix, a result that signaled his potential. Several races later, he claimed his maiden pole, albeit in the Miami sprint race, and a first podium in Canada, moments that exceeded his expectations.
“Definitely in some ways I exceeded what I was expecting,” Antonelli said, quoted by Racer. “Definitely I didn't expect to get pole that early or to get the podium.”
Yet, the European leg of the season brought challenges. Antonelli has scored points in only two of the eight races since Imola and retired three times, a stark contrast to his early highs.
“Of course, the mindset is always to go there and win, going into the season, you're super excited and you're like, ‘oh, I'm going to go there and try to win [the] first race’,” he admitted.
“The first start, I was very nervous. But then obviously, once you have a better picture, you also start to be a bit more realistic of the situation and you start to see where you have to work.”
Race Pace Progress, Qualifying Struggles
Antonelli has made notable strides in race pace, feeling increasingly comfortable managing tyres and pushing the car’s limits over a Grand Prix distance.
“I feel like my race pace has been improving substantially over this first half of the season,” he said. “I'm able in the race pace to feel much easier and to feel in a much quicker way the limit and how much the car and the tyre can give me.”
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The heavier car and lower grip levels during races make it easier for him to sense the limit, as “it's sliding a bit more around.”
Qualifying, however, remains a hurdle. The lighter car, full power, and high-grip conditions demand an aggressive approach that Antonelli has yet to master.
“In qualifying, it's all to push to the extreme,” he explained. “The car is at its lightest of the weekend, full power, new tyre and the track has the most amount of grip. So the potential is just so high that it takes a little bit of time to understand where this potential is.”
A Conservative Approach and a High-Speed Lesson
A high-speed crash during his F1 practice debut at Monza last year left a lasting impact on Antonelli, leading the teenager to adopt a cautious approach.
“I think in some weekends, I've been even a bit too conservative on the approach, because I'm trying to get as much mileage as possible to make as much learning as possible,” he said.
But this mindset, while aiding his learning, has limited his ability to extract the car’s full potential.
“It’s like having a lock, and I feel like I haven't been able to unleash my full potential because of this,” he added.
“Now that I've experienced the situation more in hand, I'm trying to have a bit of a different approach and trying to now explore more the limit,” he said.
He accepts that mistakes may happen but sees them as valuable for understanding the car’s boundaries.
“If the mistake happens, it's okay, as long as I have a better understanding of where the limit is of the car and how much I can push it, then it's going to help me for the future.”
The Million-Dollar Question
Antonelli’s biggest challenge lies in finding consistency in qualifying, where he often arrives with “too many question marks.” He rejects a reckless “make it or bin it” approach, instead seeking control and precision.
“I want to be in control and to really understand and know until what point I can push the car and to really get to that fine line where I don't go over, but I'm on the absolute limit,” he said.
“So that's what I'm trying to do now and trying to understand.”
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When asked how close he is to finding this elusive key, Antonelli replied: “That’s a one million dollar question.”
He noted that in races where the car performed well, like Miami, Suzuka, and Canada, he felt closer to unlocking his potential.
“I think in those races where the car has been really good… I've had the confidence in the car and I was able to get closer to unlock myself,” he said.
“But then when the car has been a bit more challenging, I've been struggling to unlock myself. And I've been struggling to really find the confidence to push it.”
Looking Ahead
With 14 races behind him, Antonelli remains focused on building confidence and trust in the car, even in difficult conditions.
“So for me now, it's important as well to really find the confidence and to really trust the car, even when it's more challenging,” he said.
As the season progresses, the young Italian is determined to find the key to his qualifying struggles, balancing caution with the boldness needed to compete at F1’s sharp end.
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