Kimi Antonelli admits he intends to “drive as free as attainable” regardless of the strain of main this 12 months’s Method 1 Drivers’ Championship, suggesting that one of many Mercedes driver’s largest opponents could possibly be himself.
The Italian teenager returns from the summer season break forward of this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix with a 50-point lead within the drivers’ standings, having taken six wins from 11 Grands Prix within the opening half of the season.
Antonelli reached the rostrum in three different races and has solely failed to attain in two Grands Prix to this point this season, courtesy of automotive troubles in Barcelona and Silverstone.
Talking throughout Thursday’s media day, Antonelli insisted he would strive not overthink the title battle throughout the second half of the season.
“I do know the expectations are very excessive however on my facet, simply must hold delivering the outcome, simply doing my job one of the simplest ways I can with out worrying in regards to the championship,” he mentioned.
“In fact, I do not need to go within the automotive driving and interested by the championship or being afraid to do errors or stuff like that. In fact, there can be occasions the place I would assume extra earlier than doing one thing, however apart from that, I simply need to drive as free as attainable and luxuriate in all of it the best way. Then we’ll see the place we find yourself on the finish of the 12 months.”
Though Mercedes have typically been the dominant crew beneath the new-for-2026 laws, Ferrari and McLaren have began to hassle the German producer, with Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris all scoring wins within the earlier 5 races.
And whereas Antonelli has but to make any severe errors throughout his sophomore season, the championship chief is conscious that he could possibly be his personal worst enemy if he will get carried away with title aspirations.
“I believe let’s imagine one in every of my opponents is myself. That is why it is actually essential to maintain having a stable mindset, at all times have the concentrate on the suitable issues and at all times go within the automotive with the suitable mindset,” he mentioned.
“A very good degree of depth after which hold working with the people who I belief and hold additionally in case I want them, additionally make one of the best use of it.
“It may be a really intense second half with a variety of triple headers, lot of travelling, going to a variety of completely different locations however I am actually excited. Able to embrace the problem and hopefully it is going to be an ideal second half.”
