Kimi Antonelli goes into the summer break leading the drivers' championship by 50 points from Lewis Hamilton, with six wins and six poles from 11 rounds. A year ago he was a rookie with four DNFs and a European season he now describes in unusually raw terms.
Speaking on SAP's Significant Figures podcast, the 19-year-old was asked whether the jump into Formula 1 brought pressure with it. His answer went further than the question.
"I think mostly last year I felt this, because obviously I've had a good start of the season, then I've had a difficult period, the European season, where I really struggle," Antonelli said. "And in that moment I felt I let the pressure kind of destroy me as well during that period, because I felt like I was letting down so many people who had believed in me, especially Toto, because he was the main one who took the decision."
The reference is to Toto Wolff, who promoted Antonelli straight from a single Formula 2 season to replace the Ferrari-bound Hamilton, bypassing F3 entirely on the way up. Antonelli says the recovery started with a single conversation.
"I didn't feel good in that period. I wasn't doing well, but then I had a big meeting with the team after the European season, and it kind of allowed me to reset and just start again," he said. "I slowly found my way back, and then I had a good second half of the season. That gave me the confidence, being able to overcome those difficult moments, and gave me the confidence I have this year."
What he took from it was less about car setup than self-management. "In that European season, most of the things I've done didn't help me at all," he said. "But also I've learned about how my body responds to those moments, how my brain responds, what helps myself get back into the right focus, the right mindset."
He does not regret starting at the sharp end rather than in a smaller team, though he admits the cost. "I felt the learning curve was incredible. It felt like doing three years at once, and it was overwhelming, physically, mentally, because I've had so many new experiences as well."
Max Verstappen, who trails Antonelli by 110 points and has watched the Italian since karting, is unmoved by the idea that any of this is a surprise. He told RacingNews365 the signs were there long before Mercedes.
"When he was still in go-karting, you could already see that he was one of the standout talents," Verstappen said. "His first race, he immediately pulled it off between the big guns in go-karting. At that young age, you can see that raw talent, and then it just continued into cars."
On the leap between seasons, Verstappen was dismissive of the drama around it. "For me, there was never a doubt that he would make a jump the year after and already be a lot more consistently competitive," he said. "It's normal in the progression of a driver. In your rookie season it can be quite tough, but at the moment, of course, he's doing an amazing job."
Mark Blundell reads it differently. Where Verstappen sees a standard second-year curve, the former F1 and IndyCar driver told GrandPrix247 that what stands out is the composure rather than the speed.
"It's quite remarkable, and I think what he's doing and how he's doing it are second to none," Blundell said. "Very mature for his age, and the way that he's handling a Grand Prix, feeding back inside the car and understanding what's going on is very impressive."
Blundell also pushed back on the notion that the team carries him. "Yes, he's got a good team of people around him, but when push comes to shove for that couple of hours on Sunday afternoon, there's only one individual behind the wheel, and delivery is his department."
There is a third strand here that none of them settle. The 2026 regulations have divided the grid on driving style, and Antonelli has adapted to them faster than George Russell, who has repeatedly linked his own struggles to a less aggressive approach. Blundell would rather the cars asked more of the driver and less of the software: "I really would like to see a bit more human input and human error. I think with that you'll see some results that spring up."
Whether the ruleset flatters Antonelli or merely fails to hide his teammate is the argument the second half of the season will settle. Round 12 is at Zandvoort on 23 August.
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*Originally published on [News Formula One](https://newsformula.one/article/antonelli-i-let-the-pressure-destroy-me-then-he-rebuilt). Visit for full coverage.*