F1 | Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli highlights importance of qualifying and track position. Kimi Antonelli emphasizes the importance of qualifying and track position in his debut F1 season.

Kimi Antonelli’s first year in Formula 1 with Mercedes has been a season of growth and adaptation. The young driver from Bologna, in his debut campaign, has acknowledged how crucial qualifying and the ability to maximize every lap have become for achieving solid results. With an extremely tight field and minimal gaps between teams, grid position has taken on a decisive role. The dirty air produced by modern cars makes overtaking more challenging, shifting the balance of the race toward Saturday performance.

“This year, track position has been practically fundamental,” Kimi Antonelli explained. “Even the first lap can make a real difference. If you manage to gain a few positions at the start, you can defend them more effectively because clean air offers a significant advantage. Qualifying is decisive, especially with such small gaps: a mistake can be costly, and in Q3 I still have room to improve.”

Internal team comparison

Within the team, Kimi Antonelli has often found himself behind teammate George Russell, who has outperformed him in 18 of the 20 weekends so far. For the young Italian, progress depends on his ability to bring all the elements together when it matters most: “I think the key is managing every detail at the right moment, especially in the final phases of qualifying. Once I find the right balance, things can change.”

Focusing on personal growth and finding the “click”

Kimi Antonelli’s work continues on two fronts: personal development and searching for the harmony, the “click” as he calls it, that can turn a good weekend into a truly competitive one.