Kimi Antonelli says he sensed he could become a different Formula 1 driver after only a few laps in Mercedes’ new car on a damp, cold day at Silverstone in January. Now 20, the Italian leads the drivers’ championship by 81 points over team-mate George Russell ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, after winning eight of the first 14 races of the 2026 season.

Antonelli made the comments in an exclusive interview with BBC Sport, reflecting on a rapid rise in his second year in F1. He said low expectations outside the team followed a difficult debut season in 2025, but the first drive of the new car gave him an early sense that the year could be different.

“It was just a few laps in the wet,” Antonelli says, “but I just felt better in the car, much better than I felt last year. Also the car felt well, but I just felt better mentally in the car. Less tense, more relaxed and more mature.”

He described the previous season as “not great”, saying he had spent much of it driving tensely and could not draw out his ability. “This year, it's a lot different. The mindset has been the biggest change,” he said.

After 14 grands prix, Antonelli has built an 81-point margin over Russell. Eight or nine rounds remain, depending on the war in the Middle East. The BBC report said Antonelli has appeared composed and consistently fast, and has been a factor at every grand prix. The title is widely viewed as effectively decided unless a major misfortune intervenes, although Antonelli says he is “still finding my way” in Formula 1.

His improvement has surprised him, he said, especially after Russell comprehensively outperformed him in 2025. Mercedes was expected to have an advantage at the start of the new regulatory era, and Russell began the season as the championship favourite. The Briton won the opening race in Australia, with Antonelli finishing less than three seconds behind.

That result was another point at which Antonelli began to see what might be possible. He recalled a major crash in the third practice session, known as FP3, before the Australian race. He credited the mechanics with repairing the car and making it possible for him to return and push at high speed, close to the limit.

“I had a big, big crash in FP3,” Antonelli recalls. “But then thanks to the mechanics - who all throughout the season have done an incredible job, but on that specific occasion, it is a miracle - I was able to go back in the car and push again in the high speed and getting close to the limit.”

He said the crash affected qualifying and the race because the team could not set up the car properly, even though it remained quick. Staying close to Russell despite the setback made Antonelli realize the season would be “very tough”, but he felt it was already different from his first year. “If it would have happened last year, I wouldn't have been able to overcome that.”

A crash at Monza in 2024 had weighed on Antonelli during his first F1 season. The day before Mercedes formally announced him as the replacement for Lewis Hamilton, who was bound for Ferrari, the team gave him a first-practice outing at the 2024 Italian Grand Prix. Antonelli was extremely fast on his first flying lap, then crashed heavily on his second.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff played down the incident at the time, saying he expected Antonelli to make mistakes while learning the demands of F1. Antonelli said the crash remained in his thoughts for much longer. “Monza stayed in my head for a very long time,” he says. “I think all throughout last season, at least. Definitely that was a big thing that was kind of slowing me down.”

He said the memory became more difficult to set aside during a challenging stretch in the middle of 2025. He worried that making another mistake or crashing would make an already difficult period worse. “So yeah, it's been a thing that has been bothering me a lot last year. This year I was able to just put it behind.”

Antonelli said that change came through careful work reviewing his 2025 performances, including what had worked, what had not and what he could improve. His pre-season preparation was intense, and he worked extensively with a mental coach to focus his thoughts on the goal and the task immediately in front of him.

“The mindset going into this season, it was mainly trying to be able to extract more out of my potential,” Antonelli says. “Trying to, first of all, do a better job than previous year. But as well trying to put things more together.”

He said the work was aimed at being ready and present rather than worrying about final results or what might happen if he failed to meet expectations. He also credited his first win and first pole position with easing pressure on him. Even so, he said he was “definitely surprised” by the scale of his progress, despite expecting to improve on his first season.

Antonelli’s results have included wins at Monaco and Monza. After a dominant Monaco victory, he said he arrived at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix too excited, particularly over a single lap, and overdriving cost him in qualifying. He started from farther back than he wanted after failing to put together a good lap.

“Monaco was a very high moment for me in the season, and then I went to Barcelona and I was probably a bit too excited, especially over a single lap,” he says. “So I was overdriving, I was chasing the lap time and the result didn't come in qualifying. I was actually a bit far back and didn't do a good lap.” He said he understood that trying to do too much after a major career moment was the wrong approach.

At Monza, Antonelli won from 19th on the grid at his home race. Wolff said that result “closed a cycle” that had begun with the 2024 crash at the same circuit. Antonelli said he reminded himself after Monza not to repeat his mistake after Monaco. Seven days later, he won the Spanish Grand Prix, his eighth victory in 14 races.

Russell, by contrast, has said he has struggled and has suggested that his driving style does not suit the new cars. He has also been quick to praise Antonelli. Asked how much of the championship gap came from his own improvement and how much from Russell losing ground, Antonelli called it a difficult question and said he had stepped up. He added that the new cars require a different approach and that adapting to them had not been easy.

Antonelli said consistency has come from finding a rhythm and sticking with his routines and weekend preparation. “I always try to follow my routines,” Antonelli says, “the way I approach the weekend. I try to approach it all the time the same.” He said he was still finding his way, but had found an approach that helped him remain consistent and ready to drive.

His success has brought greater attention and support, he said, while also requiring him to protect himself as he becomes more exposed. “Life has changed a lot,” Antonelli says. “I'm not going to lie. It's been a big change, but it's nice to see so much support. Definitely, one side is very nice, but on the other side, you have to be careful. You've got to protect yourself a bit more because obviously you're more exposed.”

Antonelli has generally emphasized process and focusing on each day rather than the overall championship. He acknowledged that the title is now on his mind. Winning it would make him the youngest world champion in F1 history.

“Yes, I thought about it,” he says. “But again, thinking about it, I came always to the same conclusion that the earlier I finish all this, the better it is. “So I've got to just keep pushing. I keep doing the best I can every race. Because, yeah, that's the way. Just not finish. And until it's done, it's not over.”

The BBC report also described Antonelli as a boy “born in a garage” who began driving on his father’s lap. It noted a feature about him “disrupting rules of fandom” in Ferrari’s Italy, a question-and-answer item on Monaco staging a sprint race, and BBC guidance on following the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Based on reporting by BBC Sport.