Rising Formula 1 star Kimi Antonelli is facing a challenging period in his debut season with Mercedes. After a promising start, the young Italian driver admits to struggling with confidence and adapting to his car. Recent performances have raised concerns as he strives to match the pace of his teammate, George Russell.
Antonelli's Confidence Crisis
Following the Belgian Grand Prix qualifications, Antonelli appeared visibly affected by his early elimination. He confessed to journalists that he's been battling to regain confidence in the car since the start of the European season. "It is true, since the start of the European season, I have been fighting to find confidence in the car," he admitted. "I even feel that I took a step back."
Antonelli believes his lack of confidence is hindering his ability to push the car to its limits. He explained that an incident during practice, where he went wide, further impacted his confidence. "This is a difficult phase of my career, because I feel that I no longer dare to push the car within its limits. Yesterday (Editor’s note: Friday), for example, I tried a little too much, and I went on a tail. Which affected my confidence even more."
Adapting to Mercedes
Antonelli acknowledged his attempts to adjust his driving style to suit the Mercedes car, but he finds the process difficult. He believes he may have overcompensated, resulting in a forced and unnatural driving style. "I surely already changed my style too much, it becomes forced, it’s difficult. I am more aggressive than George in the turn entrances, and in general, I am too aggressive, I try to maintain too much speed in the curves. Which is only accentuating the problem."
As Antonelli continues his F1 journey, overcoming this confidence hurdle will be crucial for him to unlock his full potential and compete at the highest level.