Kimi Antonelli admits shock at ‘rock bottom’ turnaround after extending F1 title race lead with Belgian GP win | F1 News

Kimi Antonelli admits he could never have imagined being in a dominant position at the top of the Formula 1 world championship 12 months ago when he hit “rock bottom” during his rookie campaign.

Antonelli, 19, won the Belgian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton is 45 points clear at the top of the drivers’ standings for Mercedes on Sunday, having completed 10 of the 22 rounds currently scheduled.

Antonelli endured a punishing spell midway through his 2025 campaign, after Mercedes boss Toto Wolff was fast-tracked to replace Hamilton following the seven-time world champion’s decision to join Ferrari.

The then 18-year-old went on a disappointing run during which he finished higher than ninth just once in 10 grands prix, with one of the low points coming last year when he crashed out in Q1 in Belgium.

Asked after claiming his sixth win of the season on Sunday if he could have imagined the scenario a year ago, Antonelli replied: “No, absolutely not.

“Last year here, I probably reached the bottom, so it was a very tough weekend for me mentally.

“But this year has definitely been a lot better. If you had asked me last year at this point, I probably would have said no.”

Antonelli’s advantage at the top of the standings could actually be much greater had it not been for the Italian’s spell of bad luck in recent weeks.

He suffered engine failure while running second to Hamilton in Barcelona, ​​followed by a wheel-guard failure that dropped him from the points at the British Grand Prix as he chased down Charles Leclerc for victory.

Given his pace dominance over his team-mate George Russell, who started the year as the clear title favourite, it is hard to see how Antonelli can be caught unless Ferrari make major improvements to their inferior power unit in the near future.

Despite his strong position, Antonelli is not dwelling on the growing possibility of him becoming the youngest driver to become F1 world champion.

“I never want to relax too much,” Antonelli said Sky Sports F1.

“Obviously, it’s a great result and good redemption after last year because last year was a very dark moment for me and to get the win is very special.

“But you can never relax because we’ve seen in the past how things can change so quickly.

“So that’s why it’s important to maximize and take every opportunity that’s given, and make the best of it because you never know what can happen.”

Wolff: We are all surprised by Antonelli’s form

Wolff decided to give Antonelli one of the most coveted seats on the grid when several other strong options were available and there was a time in 2025 when the choice came under intense scrutiny.

While Wolff said Antonelli’s ups and downs during his debut campaign were to be expected, the Austrian admitted the teenager’s remarkable consistency in 2026 has “surprised” the whole team.

“We’re all surprised,” Wolff said. “I think the first season came as expected. Great moments where his talent shined, and then moments that were very difficult – a long spell of lack of results in the middle of the season, as expected.

“And then after the winter, as expected, he knew the environment, he knew the pressures, he knew the needs of the team on the technical side, on the marketing side, knew the tracks we’d be racing on.

“But what wasn’t expected was the serenity and structure he brought to his playing. With Kimi, whether the session was good or bad, you couldn’t see the difference in emotion in a nutshell.

“It’s absolutely transactional. What’s the problem? How do we solve it? How do we move forward? And it’s new. And I think that’s why when he wins, you don’t see this absolute excitement that a 19-year-old would have.”

Wolff cited his response to Antonelli’s reliability as a further example of his high-profile commitment to Barcelona and Silverstone.

Wolff added: “And at the same time, when he failed to deliver results, in Barcelona, ​​when our car was stopped, even at Silverstone, he came back and he was the one who told the team, ‘It’s a mechanical game, these things can happen’.

“Nineteen years old – that’s very impressive to watch. And I think that mentality and that attitude is probably one of the main drivers that has allowed his talent to shine so early in his career.”

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