World championship frontrunner Kimi Antonelli confessed that his approach to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix felt as tentative as "driving like my grandmother," a self‑assessment he attributed to a lack of confidence on the demanding Baku City Circuit. The 20‑year‑old Italian, who entered the race with a sizable lead over his Mercedes teammate George Russell, managed to climb from a 16th‑place start—after a qualifying crash—to finish in fifth place. Despite the solid recovery, his points advantage over Russell narrowed to 66 after the Brit secured the victory.
Antonelli’s season has been marked by remarkable consistency, allowing him to build a commanding lead at the top of the drivers’ standings. Yet the Baku weekend proved challenging, primarily because technical problems forced him to miss a substantial portion of the practice sessions. "I was driving a bit like my grandmother today, just damage‑save mode," Antonelli explained.
"I didn’t take risks. Before making a move, I was making sure that I could go for it." The race came after Antonelli’s dramatic win at his home event in Monza, where he surged from 19th on the grid to claim victory in September.
Expectations were therefore high for a similar performance in Baku, but the Italian’s progress was more measured this time. "If I had the same pace as at Monza or in previous races, it would have been different," he said. "It would have been like full attack.
But today I realised very early that overtaking was much harder with a train of cars all in Overtake Mode, and I didn’t have the same pace as before, so the mindset changed quickly." The race itself was eventful. Antonelli dropped a position at the start, and it took him 17 laps to break into the top ten.
He then capitalised on mistakes made by drivers ahead, steadily climbing the order. A critical moment came during the first of two rolling restarts after a safety‑car period, when a three‑car collision eliminated several rivals. Antonelli avoided the melee, though he made contact with Haas driver Oliver Bearman, sustaining significant front‑left damage. "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, but I still tried to get to P4. In the end, it was one of those days where you have to be happy with P5." He added that seeing many competitors make errors forced him to temper his aggression: "Seeing so many people doing mistakes, you kind of pull back a little because I just took advantage of everyone else’s mistakes and moved forward." Looking ahead, Antonelli will not have to wait long for another opportunity to test his mettle. The next race in the triple‑header weekend is the Bahrain Grand Prix, which this year is being staged in Malaysia due to ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Russell, meanwhile, delivered his most complete weekend since the season‑opening Australian Grand Prix, securing a win that would have been even more dominant without the interruptions caused by safety cars. Despite the setback in Baku, Antonelli remains a heavy favourite for the 2026 title. Russell faces a potential grid penalty for an engine change later in the season, which could further widen Antonelli’s lead.
The Italian champion maintains a positive outlook, acknowledging Russell’s impressive performance while reflecting on his own difficulties. "It’s exciting," Antonelli told Sky Sports F1.
"George has done an incredible weekend, he’s driven incredibly. He 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." Formula 1’s return to Malaysia marks the first time the sport has visited the country since 2017, with the Bahrain Grand Prix set to take place at the Sepang International Circuit.
Fans can follow live coverage on Sky Sports F1, and the event will be streamed via NOW, offering a flexible, contract‑free viewing option. In summary, Antonelli’s candid admission of driving conservatively underscores the mental challenges that even top‑level drivers face on circuits that demand both precision and bravery. While his fifth‑place finish in Baku may appear modest compared with his earlier triumphs, the race highlighted his ability to adapt, recover from damage, and extract maximum points under less‑than‑ideal conditions.
As the season progresses, his capacity to balance aggression with caution will be a key factor in maintaining his championship lead, especially as rivals like Russell continue to push hard and capitalize on any opportunity to close the gap.