World championship frontrunner Kimi Antonelli confessed that his performance at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix felt as if he were "driving like his grandmother," a comment he made to explain the lack of confidence he experienced on the demanding Baku City Circuit. The 20‑year‑old Italian, who entered the race with a comfortable lead in the standings, managed a respectable climb from 16th on the grid—after a qualifying crash—to finish in fifth place.
However, his advantage over his Mercedes teammate George Russell shrank to 66 points after the Brit secured the win. Antonelli’s season has been characterised by remarkable consistency, allowing him to amass a sizable points gap at the top of the leaderboard. Yet Baku proved to be a stumbling block, largely because technical problems forced him to miss a substantial portion of the practice sessions, leaving him with limited data and confidence in his car’s setup. "I was driving a bit like my grandmother today, just damage‑save mode," Antonelli explained.
"I wasn’t taking any risks. Before I attempted any overtaking move, I made sure I could actually execute it safely." The expectations surrounding Antonelli were high, especially after his spectacular victory at his home race in Monza, where he surged from 19th on the grid to claim the win in September.
In Baku, however, his progress was more measured. "If I had the same pace I enjoyed at Monza or in earlier rounds, the race would have unfolded differently," he said.
"It would have been an all‑out attack. But early on I realised overtaking was far tougher with a train of cars all in Overtake Mode, and I simply didn’t have the same speed as before, so my mindset shifted quickly." The race itself was eventful. Antonelli lost a position at the start and spent the first 17 laps battling his way back into the top ten. He capitalised on mistakes made by drivers ahead and gradually built momentum.
A critical moment arrived after the first of two rolling restarts triggered by a safety‑car period; a three‑car incident eliminated several competitors, and Antonelli narrowly avoided a collision that could have ended his race. He also endured contact with Haas driver Oliver Bearman, which left his car with significant floor damage. "After the restart, I had big floor damage.
My whole left side was gone with the contact," Antonelli recounted. "The car became very sketchy to drive, but I still tried to push for P4. In the end, it was one of those days where you have to be happy with P5.
Seeing so many people make mistakes, I pulled back a little and simply took advantage of their errors to move forward." Despite the setbacks, Antonelli’s fifth‑place finish keeps him firmly in the championship hunt. He will not have to wait long for his next opportunity to score points, as the calendar moves to a triple‑header weekend with the Bahrain Grand Prix taking place in Malaysia amid ongoing regional tensions. Russell, meanwhile, delivered his most complete weekend since the season opener in Australia, securing a victory that would have been even more dominant had it not been for safety‑car interruptions. Looking ahead, Antonelli remains a strong favourite for the title, especially given that Russell is expected to incur a grid penalty for an engine change later in the season.
Antonelli’s outlook stays optimistic. "It’s exciting," he told Sky Sports F1.
"George has done an incredible weekend, he’s driven incredibly and had a lot of confidence. This weekend was my worst of the year by far in terms of performance. I wasn’t there, I wasn’t really present, especially with what happened so early on." The upcoming race in Malaysia will mark Formula 1’s return to the Sepang International Circuit for the first time since 2017, with the event billed as the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Fans can watch live coverage on Sky Sports F1 or stream via NOW, which offers a contract‑free option that can be cancelled at any time. Antonelli will be eager to bounce back, hoping to restore the aggressive pace that has defined his season and to re‑establish the commanding lead he built early in the campaign.