Kimi Antonelli reveals turning point in dramatic F1 transformation

Kimi Antonelli has revealed he was battling self-doubt as questions were growing over whether Mercedes had promoted him to Formula 1 too soon.

The dominant force and runaway championship leader this season, Antonelli struggled through the European leg last year, giving rise to questions over whether he was ready for F1.

Kimi Antonelli admits self-doubt after questions over Mercedes promotion

Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google for news you can trust.

Antonelli has won the last five races, taking out last weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix with a peerless performance ahead of Lewis Hamilton.

His efforts have heaped pressure on his Mercedes teammate, George Russell, who entered the F1 2026 season as favourite for the world championship.

Six races in, and the Brit trails his teenage colleague by 68 points.

It’s a performance that stands in stark contrast to his rookie year, when a mid-season form slump prompted questions about whether he’d been promoted into F1 too quickly.

“Not really, to be fair,” Antonelli said when asked if he still questions his potential.

“Last year was definitely a big feature.

“I would doubt a lot about myself, especially during that period, that difficult period in Europe, but this year obviously has been a different story.

“Obviously, also you mature a lot after one year of Formula 1, not only as a driver but also as a person.

“I think, also last year during the difficult period, I got to know myself better.

“Considering how bad it was in the moment, actually I’m very grateful that it happened, because it made me grow a lot and it taught me a lot about myself.

“This year, so far, I haven’t been questioning or doubting myself.”

More on Kimi Antonelli

Kimi Antonelli rejects ‘not fair’ Ayrton Senna comparisons after Monaco masterclass
‘One mistake and you’re down’ – Kimi Antonelli gets stark title warning

Clearly in a better mental space, and far more confident and comfortable with where he is in F1, Antonelli concedes there are a number of unanswered questions.

Chief among them is how far he can go, and whether that includes claiming this year’s title.

“I know what’s the opportunity, the opportunity that is on the table,” he said.

“Of course I want to make the best out of it and try to maximise it.

“But at the same time I don’t want to drive or race thinking about that.

“I just want to try to really focus on the process on what they have to do, and try to enjoy as much as possible, as well, the driving, the weekend, and just trying to drive as fast as possible, and then we’ll see where we end up at the end of the year.”

It’s a position that contrasts sharply to a year ago, when the young Italian battled with self-doubt.

“A lot has changed, I think,” he noted.

“The year of experience itself has been playing a massive role, just making your own experiences and understanding what’s good and what’s not good for you during the weekend and outside the weekend.

“Also coming back into the weekend and having done it the year before, plays already a massive difference.

“You know better the track evolution during the session, you know better how the weekend is structured as well, so you’re also able to balance your energies in a better way.”

“Also, when you go in the car, you feel also better in terms of energies, but as well also you become more aware of your potential.

“You get to know even better the team, so the bond just gets stronger and stronger.

“It’s all little things that, at the end of the day, they play a massive role.”

Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.

You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!

Read Next: ‘Hurting’ Lando Norris braced for engine penalty blows in title defence