Barcelona-Catalonia Grand Prix: Kimi Antonelli says he still has a lot to prove.

“Last year I doubted myself a lot, especially in that difficult season in Europe.

“It’s a different story this year and after a year in F1 you’ve matured a lot not only as a driver but also as a person.

“Last year I knew myself very well during the difficult season. Considering how bad it was at the time, I’m very grateful for this event because it made me grow a lot and taught me a lot about myself. I don’t doubt myself or doubt myself this year.”

Antonelli finished seventh in the championship last year, three places and 169 points behind Russell.

The Englishman is a two-time Grand Prix winner, with Antonelli’s best result coming in third place at the Canadian Grand Prix.

He only lapped Russell five times all season, and was 0.24 seconds slower on average.

This year, Russell has had some bad luck at various times – mistaking the pit stop and It resulted in a penalty against Monaco. last weekend.

But he admits he is struggling to get the most out of his car in Monaco.

Antonelli leads 5-4 with an average advantage of 0.110 seconds.

He said: “A lot has changed. The year of experience itself has played a big role – creating your own habits, understanding what is good for you and what is not good for you on weekends and weekends.

“The experience, being able to go back to the weekend and doing it earlier in the year makes a big difference. You know the track evolution and so on and you can balance your energies better so you feel better energetically in the car.

“You get to know more about your potential and get to know the team better, it’s all the little things that make a big difference.”