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 weekend as the points leader, managed a respectable recovery after a chaotic qualifying session that saw him start from 16th on the grid. By the end of the race he had climbed back up to finish fifth, yet his lead over his Mercedes teammate George Russell was trimmed to 66 points after Russell secured a dominant victory. Antonelli’s season has been marked by an extraordinary level of consistency, allowing him to build a commanding gap at the top of the standings.
However, the Baku weekend proved to be a stark contrast to his usual poise. Technical problems with his car forced him to miss a substantial portion of the practice sessions, leaving him with limited data and confidence heading into qualifying. The resulting crash relegated him to the middle of the pack, and he admitted that the lack of track time made him adopt a "damage‑save mode" during the race.
"I was driving a bit like my grandmother today, just damage‑save mode," Antonelli explained. "I didn't take any risks. Before I attempted a move, I made sure I could actually execute it safely." The race itself demanded a different approach.
Baku’s narrow streets and long straightaways create a unique overtaking challenge, especially when the field is bunched together in what drivers call "overtake mode." Antonelli noted that the early stages of the Grand Prix made it clear that passing would be far more difficult than on the circuits where he had previously shown his speed. "If I had the same pace as at Monza or in earlier races, the outcome would have been completely different," he said. "It would have been a full‑on attack.
But I quickly realized that not only was overtaking harder with a train of cars, but I also didn't have the same pace I had previously, so my mindset shifted almost instantly." The Italian’s earlier triumph at his home race in Monza, where he surged from 19th on the grid to claim victory, had set lofty expectations for his performance in Baku. Yet the circumstances this weekend forced a more measured strategy. After dropping a place at the start, Antonelli spent the first 17 laps methodically working his way back into the top ten, capitalising on mistakes made by drivers ahead of him.
A pivotal moment came during the first of two rolling restarts following a safety‑car period. A multi‑car incident had taken three competitors out of the race, and Antonelli narrowly avoided being caught up in the chaos.
Shortly after, he made contact with Oliver Bearman's Haas, which resulted in significant damage to the left side of his car. "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 making mistakes, I pulled back a little and simply took advantage of everyone else's errors to move forward." Despite the setbacks, Antonelli’s outlook remains optimistic as he looks ahead to the next round of the season. The championship will resume with a triple‑header finale, beginning with the Bahrain Grand Prix, which this year is being staged at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia due to ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. George Russell, who claimed a commanding win in Baku, delivered his most complete weekend since the opening race in Australia. His performance, unmarred by safety‑car interruptions, further tightened the title race, but Antonelli still enters the Bahrain event as the favourite, especially considering Russell will have to serve a grid penalty for an engine change later in the season.
Reflecting on the weekend, Antonelli told Sky Sports F1, "It's exciting. George has done an incredible weekend; he drove with a lot of confidence.
This weekend was by far my worst performance of the year. I wasn't there, I wasn't really present, especially with what happened so early on." The upcoming race in Malaysia will be the first Formula 1 event there since 2017, offering a new set of challenges and an opportunity for Antonelli to rebuild his momentum.
Fans can follow live coverage on Sky Sports F1 and stream via NOW, with flexible subscription options that allow cancellation at any time. In summary, while Antonelli’s Baku outing was far from his usual dominant display, his ability to adapt, avoid further incidents, and still secure a top‑five finish underscores his resilience.
The young Italian remains the championship’s leading contender, and his forthcoming performance in Malaysia will be crucial in determining whether he can maintain his advantage over a resurging Russell and the rest of the field.