Antonelli Admits He Felt Like He Was Driving Cautiously, Like His Grandmother, Due to Low Confidence

World championship frontrunner Kimi Antonelli explained that his performance at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix was hampered by a lack of confidence, describing his driving style as "like my grandmother" 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, but his advantage over Mercedes teammate George Russell was trimmed to 66 points after the Brit secured a dominant victory. Antonelli’s season has been defined by remarkable consistency, allowing him to build a sizeable cushion at the top of the standings.

However, the Baku event proved challenging. Technical problems with his car forced him to miss a significant portion of the practice sessions, leaving him with limited time to fine‑tune the setup for the high‑speed, narrow streets of Azerbaijan. "I was driving a bit like my grandmother today, just damage‑save mode," he said after the race.

"I didn’t take risks. Before making a move, I was making sure that I could go for it." The pressure on Antonelli was considerable. Earlier in September he had pulled off a spectacular victory at his home race in Monza, climbing from 19th on the grid to win in front of a passionate Italian crowd. That performance raised expectations for his next outing, but the circumstances in Baku were markedly different.

"If I had the same pace as at Monza or in previous races, it would have been different," Antonelli admitted. "It would have been like a full‑on attack.

But today I realised very early that overtaking was a lot harder with a train of cars all in Overtake Mode, and I didn’t have the same pace as before, so the mindset changed very quickly." The race itself was a roller‑coaster for the young driver. He lost a place at the start and spent the first 17 laps fighting his way back into the top ten.

Throughout the middle phase of the race he capitalised on mistakes made by drivers ahead of him, gradually inching forward. A critical moment came after the first of two rolling restarts following a safety‑car period. A three‑car incident had taken several competitors out, and Antonelli narrowly avoided a collision that could have ended his race. Later, contact with Haas rookie Oliver Bearman caused substantial damage to the left side of his car, stripping away much of the floor and leaving the chassis "sketchy" to drive.

Despite the damage, Antonelli pressed on, aiming for a fourth‑place finish. "After the restart, I had big floor damage. My whole left side was gone with the contact," he recounted. "The car was very sketchy to drive, and I still tried to get to P4, but all in all, it’s one of those days where you have to be happy with P5.

Also seeing so many people making mistakes, you kind of pull back a little because I just took advantage of everyone else’s errors and moved forward." The race weekend also featured a number of notable storylines beyond Antonelli’s own struggles. Alpine issued a condemnation of online abuse after Franco Colapinto’s three‑car crash with Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris, while George Russell’s victory marked his most complete weekend since the season‑opening Australian Grand Prix, despite several safety‑car interruptions that disrupted the flow of the race. Looking ahead, Antonelli does not have to wait long for his next opportunity to score points. The following weekend will see the second race of a triple‑header, the Bahrain Grand Prix, which this year is being staged at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia due to ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Russell, meanwhile, will face a grid penalty for an engine change later in the season, potentially giving Antonelli an additional edge in the championship battle. Despite the setback in Baku, Antonelli remains a strong favourite to retain his title. He expressed optimism about the upcoming race, acknowledging Russell’s impressive performance while reflecting on his own difficulties.

"It’s exciting," he told Sky Sports F1. "George has done an incredible weekend, he’s driven incredibly. He had a lot of confidence.

And 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 Formula 1 calendar will shift to Malaysia for the first time since 2017, with the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang promising a different set of challenges compared to the street‑car circuit of Baku. Fans can catch live coverage on Sky Sports F1, and the race will be streamed via NOW without a long‑term contract, offering flexibility for viewers. Antonelli’s goal will be to rebuild his confidence, avoid unnecessary damage, and aim for a stronger finish as the championship enters its crucial middle phase.