After a strong start to the season with victories in China and Japan and leading the drivers’ championship, Andrea Kimi Antonelli approaches the mid-season break with awareness, but also a bit of regret at seeing this positive momentum paused. The break will still be useful to recharge, reflect on an intense start to 2026, and focus on areas for improvement. It will not be a month of total relaxation, as Antonelli confirmed he has a busy schedule full of training and commitments.
In an interview from his home in San Mario with Mara Sangiorgio for Sky Sport F1, Antonelli explained how this period away from the track has been important, despite arriving at a time when the season’s rhythm was building: “It’s a shame that we have such a long break, but at the same time I’m not complaining because I get to spend quite a few days at home. It’s important because the start of the season has been very intense. I’m a bit sad because we come from a positive start and the car is really strong. When you’re in such an important moment, you’d prefer to keep going because with the stop you lose a bit of rhythm.”
After a challenging start in Australia, mainly due to the start and some circumstances rather than overall pace, Antonelli demonstrated his potential in China and Japan. Particularly at Suzuka, he dominated the weekend, comfortably outpacing George Russell—a driver whose quality is unquestionable—taking the top spot in the drivers’ championship.
However, not everything went perfectly in these first three rounds. “In Japan, I didn’t enjoy the victory as I wanted because I was upset about the start. It was shocking,” Antonelli admits. This will be a key area of focus during the April break. “I’m already working on it, especially in the simulator, on starts. I’m thinking about how to improve this aspect.”
A busy April off-track
April will not only be a month of rest. Antonelli has a packed schedule of training and activities, including some outside Formula 1. The simulator will remain central, and Kimi revealed that he will soon receive the new steering wheel with updated settings to train at home, focusing especially on starts. Beyond the simulator, he will also have opportunities to drive on track. “I’ll do a GT2 test, a Pirelli F1 test, days in go-karts, and maybe even one in a GT car. It will still be a very active break, between track, simulator, and training.”
Finally, Antonelli highlighted the personal value of this time away from racing, spending moments with family and nurturing extra-sportive motivation, reaffirming his desire to represent Italy at the highest level in motorsport, especially after the recent disappointment of the Italian national football team. “It’s even more reason to continue trying to take Italy to the top.”
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