As FormulaUno.it reports, Kimi Antonelli recently sat down with the Italian media—including AutoRacer—to unpack the keys to his 2026 Formula 1 championship success. Looking back at how he approached the season, the young Italian driver admitted that his mental state shifted completely compared to his rookie campaign, driven by a deeper understanding of himself and the potential of his machine.
"The experience of the previous year, especially going through difficult moments and overcoming them, made me grow a lot," Antonelli explained. Starting the championship knowing he had a predicted favorite beneath him added extra motivation, even amidst the unknowns of winter testing. He noted that nothing felt entirely new anymore, allowing him to feel more relaxed and aware of what he could achieve.
That doesn't mean the road was entirely smooth. While he avoided the major errors of 2025, a crash during FP3 in Australia brought back heavy memories of Monza 2024 and his previous Australian shunt. Yet, enduring past trials like the emotional summer of 2025—which culminated in tears during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend—forged a resilience that helped him bounce back with far more lightness this time around.
Technical improvements also played a massive role, particularly in conquering track limits and starting procedures. Working with his father and Matteo Bobbi on visual cues—such as aiming slightly to the left of the white line rather than staring right at it—drastically cut down his infractions. Austin proved to be the turning point, where a lone race error (which he blamed on Carlos Sainz staying put in a braking zone) stood as his only misdemeanor after a clean qualifying session.
On the other side of the garage, starts were ironed out through relentless collaboration with Mercedes. The team transformed from one of the worst off the line to a formidable starter, perfecting clutch release consistency and upgrading the system. Coupled with winter simulator marathons in England to master the completely new 2026 chassis, aerodynamics, and power unit regulations, Antonelli and his squad laid down the exact groundwork needed to hit the ground running.
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