Formula 1 championship leader Kimi Antonelli is addressing his race start struggles—seen in three of four events including the China sprint—during the April break. Despite two wins and outperforming teammate George Russell, the Mercedes driver cites procedural errors and new regulations as causes, planning simulator work, tyre tests, and more.
Kimi Antonelli, the 19-year-old Italian from Bologna leading the 2026 drivers' standings ahead of teammate George Russell, has exceeded expectations with two victories in three races thanks to Mercedes' strong W17 car. However, poor starts remain his primary weakness amid new rules removing the MGU-H, requiring drivers to rev engines higher for 10 seconds pre-launch—a area Mercedes is still mastering, with Russell losing five positions from two poles. Antonelli dropped a combined 18 positions off the line across Australia, the China sprint, and Japan.
In Australia, a formation lap issue left him without battery power, preventing tyre warm-up burnouts and energy deployment, costing several places as Russell showcased strong launches. 'The start was a game changer... very poor,' Antonelli said. In the China sprint, a misunderstanding with race engineer Peter Bonnington led to incorrect start mapping, causing contact with Isack Hadjar and a 10-second penalty during a safety car after Nico Hulkenberg's retirement. From pole in Japan, suboptimal rear tyre temperatures and a frenetic clutch release produced wheelspin, dropping him to sixth. 'I was very angry about the start – it was really shocking,' he admitted, expecting criticism from team boss Toto Wolff: 'He's going to kick my butt because of the start. I deserve that.'
The month-long hiatus between Japan and Miami—enforced by cancellations of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia due to Middle East conflict—offers time to refine. Antonelli has his steering wheel at home for testing, plus simulator sessions, a Pirelli tyre test at Nürburgring on April 14-15 with McLaren, a GP2 test, go-karting, and possibly GT racing, as revealed in a Sky Sport Italy interview.
