What a distinction a yr makes. Twelve months in the past at Spa-Francorchamps, a teary-eyed Kimi Antonelli struggled to take care of his composure within the media pen, amid an ordeal of a dash weekend the place he was twice out in Q1 and completed each races nicely down the order.
Now, Antonelli is Italy’s second-most profitable driver in Components 1 historical past, having triumphed in Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix – thereby rising his championship result in 45 factors over new runner-up Lewis Hamilton, with team-mate George Russell 5 additional factors adrift following his lap-one retirement.
The distinction might hardly be starker between the error-prone 18-year-old rookie Mercedes gambled on final yr and the 19-year-old star performer we’ve been watching this season. In line with staff principal Toto Wolff, that is all the way down to the invaluable expertise gained in 2025 in addition to Antonelli’s clever mindset out and in of the automotive.
“We’re all shocked,” Wolff admitted following Antonelli’s sixth profession victory – additionally his sixth in 2026.
“I feel the primary season got here as anticipated. Nice moments the place his expertise shined via, and moments which have been very tough – the lengthy spell of the shortage of outcomes in the midst of the season – as anticipated.
“After which after the winter, additionally as anticipated, he knew the setting, he knew the pressures, he knew the calls for of the staff on the technical facet, on the advertising and marketing facet, realizing the tracks that we might go racing [at].
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Toto Wolff, Mercedes
Picture by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Pictures by way of Getty Pictures
“However what was not anticipated is the serenity and construction that he introduced into his sport. With Kimi, whether or not the session was good or dangerous, you would not see a distinction in feelings within the debrief. It’s completely transactional. What’s the drawback? How can we remedy it? How can we transfer on? And that’s new. And I feel that is why it is nearly when he wins you may’t see this absolute pleasure {that a} 19-year-old would nearly have.
“And on the identical time, [when] he fails to ship outcomes… In Barcelona, once we had the automotive stoppage, and even in Silverstone, he comes again in and he was the one saying to the staff, ‘Properly, it is a mechanical sport, this stuff can occur’ – 19 years outdated! That may be very, very spectacular to see. And I feel this mindset and this angle might be one of many predominant drivers that has allowed the expertise to shine so early in his profession.”
In the meantime, Antonelli was additionally requested about whether or not he might have imagined such success 12 months earlier on that distressing Spa weekend.
“No, completely not,” the Italian replied. “Final yr right here, I most likely reached the underside, so it was a really tough weekend for me mentally. However this yr was undoubtedly rather a lot higher. In the event you had requested me final yr at this second, I most likely would have mentioned no.”
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