Antonelli: pressure “destroyed me” during difficult rookie season

Antonelli opens up on the weight of his Mercedes debut

Kimi Antonelli has admitted that pressure “destroyed” him during the most difficult phase of his 2025 rookie season, although the experience ultimately taught him important lessons about himself as both a driver and a person.

Antonelli made a strong start to his debut campaign, but struggled during the European leg of the season. Speaking on SAP’s Significant Figures podcast, he said he felt he was letting down the people who had supported his promotion — particularly Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, who had been central to the decision.

“I let the pressure kind of destroy me as well during that period, because I felt like I was letting down so many people who had believed in me,” Antonelli explained.

He said he was not performing well during that spell, but a major meeting with Mercedes after the European season helped him reset. From there, he gradually found his way back and produced a stronger second half of the campaign.

Resetting the process

The recovery became a significant confidence boost. Antonelli said overcoming those difficult moments gave him belief heading into the following season, while also forcing him to understand how he reacts under pressure.

“I’ve learned about how my body responds to those moments, how my brain responds, what helps myself get back into the right focus, the right mindset,” he said.

That included learning how to manage his energy across a race weekend, balancing team events, driving and the wider demands of Formula 1. Antonelli acknowledged that many of the approaches he took during the difficult European stretch had not helped him, but the experience showed him how to respond more effectively when circumstances deteriorate.

His progress has since continued, with Antonelli described as having gone from strength to strength in his sophomore campaign and sitting at the top of the Drivers’ standings since Round 3 in Japan. Mercedes’ ongoing management of his development has also drawn attention, as shown by its consideration of a strategic power-unit penalty for Antonelli at Monza in this recent report.

An accelerated learning curve

Antonelli said Mercedes had worked hard to protect him, but the scale of his first season remained overwhelming. He felt the learning curve was equivalent to doing three years at once, leaving him physically and mentally drained by the end of 2025.

For Antonelli, the difficult period was therefore more than a setback. It became a demanding education in managing pressure, sustaining energy and rebuilding focus when a season begins to move against him.