Kimi Antonelli celebrates his first F1 point in Europe and admits: “I had started to doubt myself”. Kimi Antonelli scores his first Formula 1 point in Europe.

Antonelli scores points
From the tears of Spa-Francorchamps to a top-10 finish in Hungary. Like all competitive sports, Formula 1 offers immediate opportunities for redemption, and young Italian driver Kimi Antonelli took full advantage of it. Starting from 15th place on the grid at the Hungarian Grand Prix, the driver from Bologna delivered a composed and intelligent race, making up positions and crossing the finish line in tenth place. This result earned Kimi Antonelli his very first point in what has been, up until now, a very challenging and disappointing European campaign in his debut season in Formula 1.

The 18-year-old Mercedes junior can finally breathe a sigh of relief after a solid and mature performance at the Hungaroring circuit. Antonelli gained two positions at the start and executed a very early pit stop on lap 21. This undercut strategy worked perfectly, allowing him to jump ahead of Isack Hadjar—who had started significantly higher up the order—and slot into the points-scoring positions. It was a Grand Prix that Antonelli will no doubt view as a fresh beginning and a psychological boost as he heads into the summer break.

Antonelli’s words after the race
Speaking to Sky Sport F1 after the race, Kimi Antonelli openly admitted how mentally demanding the first part of the season has been:
“It has definitely been a very intense first half of the championship,” Antonelli explained, “and there were moments where I even struggled to manage my own energy levels.”

The Italian rookie also revealed that recent technical changes to his car had affected his confidence:
“With the new suspension system we had been using, I really struggled to find the right feeling with the car, both physically and mentally. It even got to the point where I began to doubt myself and my own abilities.”

However, the switch back to the older suspension specification seems to have restored his confidence behind the wheel:
“I’m really happy to have rediscovered a better feeling with the old suspension. Let’s just say I now consider this performance a fresh starting point—a new beginning, especially as we head into the summer break.”

For Kimi Antonelli, this tenth-place finish and first career point in a European Formula 1 race marks more than just a number on the leaderboard—it signifies a crucial psychological turning point in what could still become a strong rookie campaign.