Following a mid-season stretch characterized by underwhelming performances, technical problems, and difficulty adapting to a car that seemed to have regressed rather than improved, Baku finally offered a positive sign for Antonelli. A fourth-place finish on a weekend without mistakes was exactly what he needed to rebuild confidence.
As had been noted after Monza, Antonelli had shown competitiveness both in Italy and the Netherlands, but he failed to maximize his potential due to mistakes in practice and during races, which prevented him from achieving results that would boost his confidence. More than recovering performance alone, it was crucial to complete a weekend without errors. In Baku, he succeeded, precisely when several other prominent F1 names made mistakes. While he missed the extra edge needed to reach the podium, there were other priority objectives after such a challenging period.
“Baku was exactly what I needed in terms of results because it changed the momentum and also the trend. Up to that point, I had been struggling and really needed a good result. Looking back at the weekend, I think it was very positive, and I also believe that in terms of approach and preparation, it sets a good reference point,” Kimi Antonelli said ahead of the Singapore GP.
For the Italian, Singapore will be a first-time experience, one of the most intense and physically demanding races of the season. That makes the preparation work at home, both physically and technically, even more critical.
Before returning from the summer break, some simulator issues had limited Antonelli’s ability to practice virtually. During the days when he was supposed to test setups ahead of the Dutch and Italian Grands Prix, technical faults prevented him from running consistent laps. For Baku and Singapore, however, Antonelli was able to train fully, aiming to continue the same positive trend: a clean, error-free weekend. On tracks like these, even minor mistakes are punished more than on other circuits. “I certainly tried to prepare as best as possible. From that perspective, I think we could not have done much more. I did a lot of simulator laps,” he explained.
“Now, driving on track will be a completely different story. It’s obviously a new track, a new challenge, but it’s always exciting. The key will be to build step by step and, like in Baku, have clean sessions in FP1, FP2, and FP3 to reach qualifying with the right confidence.” This approach is central, especially since Antonelli believes the preparation work before Baku was fundamental for finding a direction that worked for the entire weekend in Azerbaijan.
Antonelli is following a natural rookie growth path, gradually adapting to top-tier F1 cars. He believes he still cannot extract all the potential from the W16, as ground-effect cars are extremely sensitive, particularly to wind changes, which do not perfectly suit his more aggressive driving style.
“I still feel I can’t drive the car the way I want. My driving style is quite aggressive, as you may have seen on some occasions, even at Monza in FP2, where I tend to throw the car into the corner. This happens when I have confidence. But it seems that with this generation of cars, you really can’t do that because they are very sensitive.”
It’s no secret that these cars, as highlighted by several drivers in this technical cycle, are extremely sensitive to adjustments and external elements, mainly due to the way downforce is generated. Some drivers adapt more easily than others, and Antonelli is working on modifying aspects of his style to extract the maximum from the W16 in the final part of the season.
Midway through the season, during difficulties with the new suspension that was eventually discarded, Antonelli explained how his aggressive style, especially at corner entry where he carries a lot of speed, was incompatible with the technical changes. This challenge also applies to other drivers who rely heavily on trail braking.
Weeks ago, it was noted how a lack of confidence with that suspension limited Antonelli’s ability to carry speed through corners, particularly in faster sections. Paradoxically, the opposite—being too aggressive—can also become a limitation. Several drivers have emphasized that once these cars get away from you, recovery is almost impossible.
“You really have to be careful; the car is extremely delicate. The limits are very high, but once you exceed them, there’s no escape, it just slips away. The car becomes super unpredictable and really hard to control. So with these cars, I’m still trying to change my driving style a bit.”
“When I have confidence, I still tend to throw the car into corners, and the problem resurfaces. What I’m working on is adapting my style without changing it completely because in some corners the car can handle it, in others it can’t. It’s about understanding where I can push more and where I need to adapt. It’s not fully natural yet, but so far I’m taking the right steps.”
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