Kimi Antonelli credits 2025 struggles for stronger 2026 F1 campaign
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli has credited his tricky rookie Formula 1 campaign in 2025 with making him mentally stronger in 2026. The Italian driver holds a 59-point lead over his team-mate George Russell and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton in the drivers' standings. He became the youngest driver to lead the championship in his second season in the series after back-to-back wins in China and Japan ...…
Kimi Antonelli, the young Italian driver, believes his challenging 2025 Formula 1 campaign contributed to his mental resilience in 2026. Holding a 59-point lead over his Ferrari teammate George Russell and championship leader Lewis Hamilton, Antonelli has shown significant improvement since his rookie season. His victories in China, Japan, and four others before the summer break marked a notable jump in performance compared to his previous year, when he only scored points in two of nine European races.
The 20-year-old reflected on how those tough moments during his rookie season helped him grow emotionally and mentally, despite the difficulties he faced. As he prepares for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza from September 4-6, Antonelli hopes for better results than he experienced in 2025, though he will be starting the race with a power unit penalty.
Written by urgent.news from Motorsport.com's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
