The authority with which Antonelli commands the world ranking almost makes one forget the very young age of a boy in only his second season in Formula 1. Kimi’s rise is even more surprising when compared to the crisis period experienced in his debut year, which led him to doubt his abilities. Today, however, the Italian is fighting for the world championship against a Ferrari with which he shares the support of the tricolor public, as he recounts in the exclusive interview granted to FormulaPassion.it.
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The darkest moment
Antonelli opened up within the friendly walls of the Mercedes hospitality during the Spa weekend, where in 2025 he had not hidden his tears at the peak of a difficult period to say the least. “For me, it was the darkest moment of last year”, the Italian says. “I was already in a negative spiral and Spa was the final blow, because it was a weekend where I felt in difficulty. I hadn’t even started badly, but then I spun in the sprint qualifying and after, in the normal one, I had zero confidence. It was a very difficult weekend, also because I was really frustrated by the fact that I couldn’t express myself. That weekend I didn’t enjoy myself at all. Fortunately, after that there was the summer break, I did a reset and started again.”
Rarely does a driver admit to having doubted his own abilities, but not Kimi, still shaken at the time by the 2024 Monza accident during a free practice session debut: “I had my doubts. I had done all the tests and felt good, I had the car under control. The Monza accident, however, marked me a lot. It was a moment I never managed to overcome last year. The fact that I made a mistake and went off stayed in my head and slowed me down a lot. It prevented me from expressing myself, I drove tense and couldn’t even fully enjoy everything. Last year I doubted myself a lot.”
The turning point
Joining Mercedes immediately after Hamilton’s departure did not help, feeling the full weight of responsibility: “Certainly. I went straight to Mercedes, a top team, so I didn’t go through any smaller team. I felt responsibilities, because in a top team you have to try to achieve certain results. Last year we fought for second place in the constructors’ championship and so I also had to get as many points as possible and perform at my best. I felt responsibilities, especially when I went through the difficult moment, because there was some pressure anyway. I felt the duty to do well no matter what, because maybe I wasn’t meeting expectations.”
Toto Wolff has always tried to ease the pressure on his talent, but there were moments when the Team Principal was tougher. Antonelli recounts: “Last year I did a good mental reset after Monza. The race hadn’t gone well, I made a mistake at the start and then many others. That was the moment when Toto was toughest with me.”
The second thoughts and insecurities of 2025 are now only a distant memory, swept away by the special Shanghai weekend, the scene of a victory followed by many others: “Since I got my first win, it’s gone. When you win for the first time you take off a big weight, because you have fewer things to prove. Obviously I still have many, but not so many anymore. I got my first pole, my first win, I managed to react to difficult moments, so I have to say that thought [of Monza] is no longer there. But to be honest, I don’t feel 100% free yet. That’s something that will come with time.”
Learning from the best
Yet, the demonstrations of esteem for Antonelli have never been lacking, especially from Hamilton and Verstappen, from whom the Italian has absorbed a lot: “One thing I learned from them is not to be too influenced by outside opinions, by what people who are not close to you think, who just criticize, not even constructively. I learned not to be influenced and not to be afraid of making mistakes. Looking at Lewis and Max, however, one thing I would like to reach is the awareness they have when they get in the car of their potential and what the car can give them in any condition. I think it’s a very beautiful thing and also difficult to achieve.”
Hamilton and Verstappen’s confidence is also built on world titles, which Kimi is still trying to achieve: “Every year you learn to know yourself better, the car and everything. Having that kind of awareness makes the difference, because they are there [fighting] in every condition. It’s something I would like to reach too.”
The example of 2021
Antonelli has admired and studied Lewis and Max for years, starting from the memorable 2021 season, which Kimi experienced from inside the Mercedes Academy: “As a spectator it was an incredible world championship. Certainly the finale was very painful for us at Mercedes, but in the end, putting aside what happened at the last race, I think they both deserved it, because both of them had an incredible season, making a masterful difference over all the others. In the end it was just them and seeing them fight was incredible. They were two drivers who went beyond the limit, especially Max on certain occasions. They drove as if it was their last race: all or nothing, life or death. As a driver, it’s almost motivating to watch.”
The Italian driver has already shown he has a strong character in direct on-track confrontations, while keeping in mind not to overdo it: “There are situations where you have to be aware and accept a result different from what you wanted, or there are conditions that don’t allow you to do certain things. Surely you can’t always drive like that, all or nothing, but there are times when it works and it’s a lot.”
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Italy and coexistence with Ferrari
Five years later and it is Antonelli who is the protagonist of a double world fight, the internal one with Russell and the external one with Ferrari, both challenging psychologically: “If you found yourself competing only against your teammate, it would be a bit different. It would mean the team is so dominant that even if you don’t beat him you still finish second and have no problems. Instead, when there are more teams fighting, it’s nicer. It’s an extra challenge, but at the same time you have less margin for error, because you know that if you make a small mistake in qualifying, instead of starting second you might start fourth, because depending on the weekend Ferrari, McLaren or Red Bull can get in the way.”
The battles with Ferrari mean Kimi has to share Italian support with the Cavallino fans, a situation he now lives with serenely: “Ferrari is huge, it’s a brand that is the history of Formula 1. I understand it, but I’m happy with the support I have in Italy. It’s growing more and more, it’s nice to see and experience. I can’t wait to race at Monza, because I think it will be a really special weekend. I think there will be a wonderful atmosphere, because it’s a weekend full of passion.”
The team as a family
One of the secrets to success is having a clear mind, enjoying the moments on track. In this, the relationship with the team helps a lot: “For me Mercedes is like a second family. I grew up with them and I will always be grateful for the opportunities they gave me since I was little and for those they are still giving me now. It’s nice to have a good relationship with all the team members, especially on track, because you can enjoy the weekend better. I’m very happy and there’s no better place I could be.”
“Seeing that there is respect, but also that we trust each other, is very important,” Kimi continues. “Inside there everyone wants the best for the team and the driver, but it’s also important that there is trust. I also sometimes tell Bono what I feel from the car and then he shows me the various setup options. I like to understand what the changes act on, what they do to the balance, but I tell him he’s the expert. My job is not to be the engineer, but to drive as fast as possible. I tell him: ‘Look, I told you what I want, I trust you. Do what you feel and we’ll see afterwards.’ It’s a nice thing that he also appreciates.”
Leader as well as driver
Slowly, Kimi is learning what it means to be a team leader: “It’s absolutely not easy and it’s something there’s still a lot to work on. But when a good dynamic is established, you can give your input and see that the team listens to you and works in that direction, it’s nice. Sometimes, however, being a leader is not simple. You have to understand how to relate to team members, even when you maybe have to push them in a certain direction or express a disappointment. When you want some things to be different, you have to be able to express yourself in the right way, so that the message is constructive and positive, not something to criticize or that brings negativity.”
One of the discussions with the team was about the rules of engagement for duels with Russell, but it was not the only one: “We had conversations with the team and the engineers about small things that could improve the car even more, especially looking ahead to next year. It’s nice to see this mutual interest, for example when you talk about something that could help you next year and maybe they come a month later with possible solutions. Surely it’s very nice to see.”
The dream in the drawer
It goes without saying what the big dream is, which Kimi is too superstitious to say out loud. Antonelli, however, has other wishes, including to compete in an endurance race, maybe even with Verstappen: “We’ve already talked about it, but Max told me to focus on this year and then we’ll see. Then there’s also my father. Doing a race together in the car is a dream we share, it would be nice.”
Who knows if one day the conditions might also be there to share a cockpit with Valentino Rossi, who has been involved in GT racing for years now. Kimi concludes: “Valentino follows me a lot, we are on good terms. It’s nice to see so much interest also from him. Now it’s a bit more difficult, but I would like to go back to karting with him, together with those from the Academy. I have to say Vale is great and I’m really happy to have a good friendship with him.”
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