For less than two months he has been inside the vortex of global popularity, and day by day he is starting to adapt to a completely new world. The places are the same, the daily routine is not dramatically different, but the role he now plays has nothing to do with what he had just a few weeks ago.
The third consecutive victory, achieved at the end of the long Miami weekend, has further strengthened Antonelli’s emerging image as a championship leader. In Florida, Mercedes was far from the dominant force seen in the opening three rounds of the season. The decision to delay updates until the Canadian Grand Prix exposed the team to attacks from Red Bull, Ferrari, and McLaren.
For the first time in his young Formula 1 career, Antonelli truly carried the team on his shoulders. From Friday onwards it was clear that Mercedes could not rely heavily on George Russell this weekend, and as a result it was Kimi who became the team’s leading figure.
The victory not only extended his lead in the overall standings (now twenty points ahead of Russell), but also showcased a driver with strong shoulders and even stronger nerves. After another difficult start, Kimi had to push through until the pit stop phase.
The team brought him in on lap 27, and his out-lap was executed perfectly. Norris, who pitted one lap later, emerged just ahead of Antonelli but on cold tyres, and was overtaken shortly after. Over the following thirty laps, Lando remained within a second for long stretches, but Kimi made no mistakes. A veteran-level performance.
“I think this was his best race so far,” commented Toto Wolff. “It reminded me of the Kimi from karting and his Formula 4 year — extremely fast and almost error-free. I think now it is important to make sure he keeps his feet on the ground. His parents play a crucial role in that. Today in Italy I think the attention is split between Antonelli and Sinner. It is something we need to keep under control; there is enormous demand on his time from media and sponsors, and it is our job to hold the handbrake on in that regard.”
“I don’t think any of us expected a run of results like this,” Wolff continued. “Of course the car is strong and the engine works well, but the way he has capitalised on it week after week… it is something special.”
Wolff is right to point out that nobody could have predicted this scenario. Three wins in four Grands Prix would already be considered a strong haul even if achieved by George Russell, who was seen as the team’s main reference point. But Antonelli was not expected to operate at this level so early.
Now, however, it will be George Russell who arrives in Montreal (the next round on the calendar) under significant pressure. A late charge in Miami allowed him to finish fourth, but the gap in the standings is brutal: 42 seconds behind his teammate in the race classification.
Wolff is working hard to create a protective shield around his young star.
“We know there will also be tougher days ahead,” the team principal emphasised. “And we need to stay calm. Such a big success, for such a young driver at such an early stage of his career, is not something common. Marco (Kimi’s father) does a very good job of keeping his son grounded, even when he wins. And I think all of us collectively must keep repeating the same message: this is a long-term game. He has a formidable and extremely fast teammate, other teams are catching up in performance, and we want to play the long game. We do not want to stumble now because of these enormous expectations placed on him. He is 19 years old — at his age I could not even take a flight on my own.”
All of this is understandable. But among the most striking aspects of this young driver is also a mental strength built year after year, ever since he started racing with the “star” on his helmet.
The stages have changed, but Antonelli has been living with pressure for a long time. Until last year, winning was essential to secure a seat for the following season — a pressure well known to all drivers coming through Formula 1 academy systems.
Now that problem no longer exists. There is the stress of high expectations, but Kimi has always dreamed of having this kind of “good problem” on his checklist. And that dream has now become reality.
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