Ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, Kimi Antonelli was brutally honest about the highs and lows of his 2026 Formula One season.
Antonelli has seen an impressive turnaround from his rookie season last year. He took the early mistakes that racked his first season and turned them into a formidable title challenge in just his second year.
However, a gap that seemed unclosable in the opening rounds now sits at just 25 points, with Antonelli watching the gap close after DNFs and issues plagued him in the most recent rounds.
Asked about the struggles he’s faced in the last few weekends, Antonelli admitted it comes with the territory.
“Of course, it’s very frustrating.” He told the media, including Motorsport Week, “But this is motorsport, so things like this happen. Of course, I think now it’s enough, but it’s part of motorsport.
“As I said, these are external factors that you cannot really control. So I just need to maximise every opportunity I get, try to maximise what I have in control, and then we’ll see what the rest will be.
“But it’s part of the sport, and the team are doing a tremendous job to make sure that all these issues are not happening again.”
A challenge from Ferrari
Though Mercedes began the season as the clear leaders in every session and race, Ferrari has won twice in the last 3 rounds. Lewis Hamilton took victory in Barcelona, and Charles Leclerc in Silverstone.
The Italian driver hasn’t stood on the top step since Monaco, with his teammate taking the most recent Mercedes win in Austria.
Antonelli reflected on his season so far and the championship campaign at his feet. He was asked to rate his season, and although he leads the Drivers’ standings, he still urged that his year is not a 10 out of 10.
“I wouldn’t say 10 out of 10 for a few reasons. First one, Australia FP3. That was not good because then we almost missed qualifying. We couldn’t set up the car properly and stuff like that, so it compromised a bit the end of the weekend.
“Then I would say Japan. Yes, I did win in Japan, but I had a really bad start. Obviously, we extended the stint, and then we were lucky with the safety car. Then I would say, more recently, the Miami sprint race track limits, Barcelona qualifying, mainly Spielberg qualifying.”
He was pessimistic regarding his rating, noting that a ‘few things’ mark it down in his eyes.
“So there are a few things. I would say eight and a half out of 10.” He said.
The season is far from decided as the pack becomes closer and mechanical issues leave no driver safe from a potential DNF. As the fortunes shift, Antonelli will need perfection each weekend to keep himself out front through this F1 season as the rest of the field looks to challenge him.
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