Antonelli on 'stepping up' after 2024 crash 'stayed in my head for a very long time'

Kimi Antonelli says he knew from the first moment he drove this year's Mercedes that he would be transformed as a Formula 1 driver in 2026.

The 20-year-old Italian, who is running away with the world championship in only his second season in F1, is reflecting on his breakthrough year in the sport in an exclusive interview with BBC Sport.

A difficult debut season last year had left external expectations of Antonelli low at the start of 2026. But on a typically damp and cold January day at Silverstone, he already sensed that something special might be on the cards.

"It was just a few laps in the wet," Antonelli says, "but I just felt better in the car, much better than I felt last year. Also the car felt well, but I just felt better mentally in the car. Less tense, more relaxed and more mature."

Last year, he says, was "not great". "I was driving very tense most of the time, I wasn't able to extract the potential out of me," he says.

"This year, it's a lot different. The mindset has been the biggest change."

Fast forward eight months and the effects of that new headspace are plain to see.

After 14 grands prix, and with either eight or nine remaining depending on the war in the Middle East, Antonelli is a massive 81 points clear of team-mate George Russell.