Kimi Antonelli Confesses He Must Be ‘Perfect’ to Maintain F1 Lead Over George Russell

It has been a wild start to the year for Kimi Antonelli, in a season where much of the attention has been focused on his Mercedes teammate George Russell in terms of championship conversations.

A second-placed finish in Australia behind Russell showed that Antonelli had the pace to at least challenge Russell in 2026, but what happened at the next race in China surprised many.

The 19-year-old Antonelli raced his way to victory in Shanghai, and followed that up with another win in Japan after taking advantage of a safety car period.

Formula One is now in the midst of a one-month break, with the two scheduled races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia canceled and the next race on the calendar being in Miami at the start of May. When the championship resumes, Antonelli will be leading the championship by nine points.

George 🆚 Kimi ⚔️

That's 63 points for No.63 so far in 2026, with Kimi Antonelli leading the Drivers' Championship on 72 points 📊#F1 pic.twitter.com/9JMK8vEYBj
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 8, 2026

Antonelli says his career has taken a 'big step' in 2026

When Kimi Antonelli entered F1 in 2025, it was off the back of an F2 season that had seen him impress, but not dominate, where he finished P6 in the 2024 edition of the standings.

This meant that, despite entering the pinnacle of motorsports at the age of 18, there was pressure on him to fulfil his potential sooner rather than later at Mercedes, given that he was replacing the iconic Lewis Hamilton.

However, two wins out of three in 2026 has meant that much of the narrative has been around the young Italian and his sophomore season, and Antonelli spoke to F1 TV about how he feels regarding his start.

"Experience does a lot [for a young driver starting out]. Obviously last year I’ve gone through a lot and it taught me massively more than what I anticipated, and for sure it’s helping so far this year. Of course there’s still a lot of work to do, but I definitely feel much more in control of the situation."
Antonelli on growing as a racer

George Russell, Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes — Antonelli and team-mate Russell are two of the favorites to win the 2026 Drivers' Championship. | Mercedes-Benz Media

On the performance of his Mercedes, Antonelli said:

"Obviously, really, really grateful with the car that the team has provided us so far, and I just need to keep my head down.”

In regards to his teammate, who is nine years his senior, the young star stated:

“I feel he’s obviously a super, super strong, very complete driver. I think he showed many times last year, and that’s why it’s not going to be easy, and that’s why I need to do everything as perfect as possible.”