Kimi Antonelli said that his mindset and compartmentalizing are some of the reasons behind superb sophomore season in Formula One. The Italian could become champion as early as Sunday if results go his way, but his first season at the Mercedes outfit told a very different picture. That of a fast, yet error-prone driver who needs to temper his aggressiveness with patience.
“I was worrying about way too many things, especially at my home race,” the driver told the Athletic. “That’s why I felt so drained, mentally, so early in the weekend. This year, I felt in a much better place, much more protected.”
The 20-year-old could become the youngest ever driver’s champion, beating out Sebastian Vettel’s record by three years. But that doesn’t stop him from believing in unusual pre-race superstitions. He has one with his race engineer, Peter Bonnington. The driver says that before every session he removes a plastic tear-off from his visor and places it under Bonnington’s keyboard. The plastic also contains a small positive note, written by someone on Antonelli’s car crew.
The tradition has become such a mainstay for the driver that when he forgot to do so in the Barcelona Grand Prix, he thought it was the reason for his slow pace. “I was so slow. We were like, ‘something’s missing… Oh, the tear-off! Then I did it, and it went better,” Antonelli recalled.
The relationship between the driver and their engineer is one of the most important ones there is in Formula One. Communication gaps could be the difference between first and second place. Thus, Antonelli and Bonnington have other traditions as well.
The young driver started a prank war in preseason testing with Bonnington, firing a water gun at him when his back was turned. The Englishman responded by grabbing a fire extinguisher and chasing Antonelli around the paddock. Bonnington got his revenge when he sneaked some hot sauce into Antonelli’s water bottle, catching the teenager by surprise. The Mercedes social media team has not posted another update in the saga between the two, but Antonelli engages with the whole team in this manner. The only person exempt from the pranking is Mercedes boss, Toto Wolff.
“I’ve got to finish well in the championship, and finish well this year so I have a reason to do it. Then he won’t complain too much about it. But that’s next level,” Antonelli said.
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Though the chances of Antonelli being crowned in Austin are low, as he needs his teammate George Russell to finish ninth or lower and Lewis Hamilton to finish fifth or lower, he is still on track to wrap up the championship well before the final race. Antonelli has stood on the top step in 8 of the 18 races, while being on the podium 15 times.
