Kimi Antonelli is a Formula 1 prospect. Wolff wanted him at Mercedes to pair with Russell, who took over Hamilton’s seat after he was lured by the Ferrari project. Kimi’s talent is unquestionable, as already shown in the first two races. Today, we take a look at his performance, trying to understand how the young driver from Bologna handles the car. We do this through telemetry, which allows us to study his driving style, techniques, strengths, and weaknesses.
All this while considering his young age—he only just turned eighteen—and that his experience in the top category of motorsport is far from that of his teammate, now in his seventh season. Antonelli expressed satisfaction with his qualifying result, considering the initial difficulties during free practice, and also thanks to the support of Peter Bonnington and Valtteri Bottas.
Kimi acknowledged that his Q3 lap wasn’t perfect, but sixth place is still a positive result given the circumstances. While he pointed out several positive aspects, there are also areas where he still needs significant improvement. Finally, he commented on the rain forecast, seeing it as a possible opportunity to make the race even more interesting than it already is.
Inexperience proves costly for Kimi
Kimi’s lap, although not perfect, should not be underestimated. In fact, when compared with his teammate’s, a very interesting detail emerges: apart from a single mistake that proved costly in a key corner of the track, the young Italian talent has already shown the pace and clarity to compete nearly on equal terms with the Briton.
The majority of the gap was built in the very first part of the lap. Turn 1 at Suzuka is one of the most treacherous and technical sections of the entire championship: drivers arrive at about 326 km/h with the throttle still partially open before quickly braking down to 190–180 km/h to tackle the winding Snake. It’s at this point that Kimi pays the biggest price: 0.477s, taking the corner at a speed 10 km/h lower than Russell.
Telemetry also reveals a more intense deceleration, indicating earlier and harder braking—possibly due to a mix of caution and lack of experience on such a demanding circuit. However, from that point on, Antonelli progressively reduces the gap to 0.237s, showing not only pure talent but also an evident ability to read the complexities of the Japanese track.
In Turn 3, he loses a little more, with 9 km/h less and a more noticeable lift off the throttle. From Turn 5 onwards, however, everything changes. Kimi begins braking a few meters earlier in many corners so he can be quicker back on the gas. This approach allows him to fully exploit his Mercedes’ traction on the straights, especially in sectors 11–13 and 14–16.
Antonelli closes the gap to Russell with authority
In these areas of the track, his speed curve (shown in white on the telemetry) consistently opens earlier than his teammate’s. Even in the feared Spoon Curve, the Italian driver shows great maturity, managing to hit the apex with more precision and stability than he had earlier in the lap. By the end of the chicane at Turn 16, the gap is down to just two tenths.
It’s clear that the Briton’s performance was less impressive than expected, especially considering what he had shown in the free practice sessions. Looking at the data, it seems car no. 63 suffered from increased understeer in qualifying—an issue not seen earlier in the weekend. This is evident from heavier braking in turns like 5, 8, and 17, more than what Antonelli needed.
This could indicate a setup change that didn’t yield the desired results in qualifying. Nonetheless, despite the inexperience and an early mistake—something that comes at a high cost on a circuit like Suzuka—Antonelli read the Japanese track well on his first F1 outing.
Managing his driving style and making up nearly three-tenths lost in a single corner was no easy task. The young Italian driver has everything it takes to fight on equal footing with Russell. It seems Wolff was right to believe in him. While it’s still too early to tell, we certainly can’t rule out the possibility that, with a few more Grands Prix under his belt, Antonelli could become a team leader.
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