Kimi Antonelli has gained newfound confidence following his first Formula 1 podium, achieved at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal last fortnight. This milestone has eased the pressure on the young driver, allowing him to approach the remainder of his rookie season with a more assured and relaxed mindset. Antonelli’s breakthrough came as he secured third place, complementing Mercedes’ outstanding performance that saw teammate George Russell win the race.
Previously, the 18-year-old had narrowly missed reaching the podium, including during the Miami Grand Prix weekend. However, his ability to convert strong potential into a top-three finish in Canada marked a significant development in his campaign.
Podium Boost Encourages a More Assertive Race Strategy
Beyond the morale boost, Antonelli indicated that the podium finish will enable him to adopt a more aggressive approach earlier in race weekends. He believes this could enhance his qualifying results, which have previously been hampered by excessive caution during practice sessions. Antonelli reflected on the mental shift the achievement has prompted.
Canada was really important to me,
Antonelli shared with media, including Crash.net.
It was a big relief, but as well it was important because there were a couple of times in the season where I came close to the podium.
He went on to explain that prior to this result he sometimes felt overly tense and conservative, especially in practice. Now, having tasted success, Antonelli is ready to push harder and explore new limits during sessions leading up to qualifying.
Now is really the time after achieving this result to make a step and to make a step further and to improve, to prove myself, especially as well on the approach in practice, trying to explore a bit more, especially the grip because in qualifying I’ve always been arriving with a bit too many question marks, and having to explore too much and to learn too much.
In qualifying you don’t really have much time because it’s only one lap on the tyre and then that’s it.
Reflections on a Challenging Monza Debut
Antonelli’s rookie season began with a difficult introduction during the FP1 session at Monza last year, where he crashed at Parabolica after just five laps. He admitted that the incident caused him to adopt a more cautious driving style initially, impacting his confidence in practice sessions.
I was a bit too conservative, especially in FPs because if you look at the trend in FP, I would always arrive quite late into the session,
he explained.
I would always put the time quite late in the session just because it kind of required me many laps to get there.
Antonelli believes this cautiousness was an overreaction to the Monza crash, leading to an overly safe approach that may have limited his early season performance.
Obviously, I truly believe I overcorrected after what happened in Monza and now I’m a bit too safe. I’m a bit on the safe side,
he continued.
He emphasized that the result in Montreal is the catalyst for regaining a balanced mindset and moving forward with more confidence. The tight competition in F1 makes even tiny improvements essential, particularly in qualifying where small fractions of a second can determine grid positions.
That’s why I think, results like this also help you to move forward and to make the step. Now is the time to do the step because you know nowadays F1 is super tight, especially when you see qualifying, the gaps are just so close that even a tenth can put you on the back foot.
So I think now is the time, especially in practice, to get back a bit closer to Monza. Not exactly like Monza, but get closer to that in order to arrive ready in quali.
Looking Ahead to the Rest of the Season
Kimi Antonelli’s first podium finish represents a milestone that could shape the trajectory of his rookie Formula 1 season. His more confident and less tentative outlook suggests that he will tackle upcoming races with a greater willingness to take calculated risks, both in qualifying and race day sessions. As Mercedes continues to perform strongly, with George Russell’s success reinforcing the team’s competitive edge, Antonelli’s growth as a driver will be essential to maintaining momentum.
With the Canadian Grand Prix serving as a turning point, the Italian-born racer aims to build on this foundation and sharpen his racecraft against some of the sport’s most experienced competitors. The season’s remainder will test whether this initial breakthrough can translate into consistent top finishes and help Antonelli establish himself firmly in the Formula 1 grid.
