Antonelli: I need to learn to say no

Antonelli came to Imola with a huge spotlight beaming on him, as he was Italy's first Formula 1 driver in years, not to mention that he has had a strong start to his rookie season with Mercedes.

And while he was the faster Mercedes driver one race ago in Miami, where he took Sprint Pole, the tables turned for the Emilia Romagna GP as Antonelli struggled for pace throughout qualifying 13th, while George Russell was third.

It was a tough weekend for Mercedes as a whole with the elevated track temperatures, but for Antonelli, it was the off-track promotional activities that may have taken their toll on the youngster.

He came to his home race after a short Netflix documentary had been released about how he came to be a Mercedes driver, while he also hosted a field trip for his classmates within the Formula 1 paddock while also celebrating the victory of Bologna FC over AC Milan (1-0), the former winning the Italian Cup for the first time in 51 years.

Being a young driver in his first Formula 1 season, Antonelli was not able to manage the exposure very well, and was naturally overwhelmed, which is something Mercedes should have managed in a better way, shielding him as much as possible to be able to focus on the driving.

Reflecting on his weekend, Antonelli said: "Overall, I think the weekend was probably the worst in terms of performance, so that's why I'll try to recover well and be back stronger in Monaco.

"I absolutely love the support of the fans. I just think on my side I didn't manage the energy that well, and that compromised definitely the performance on track.

"I could feel it. I was not as relaxed, I was a bit more tense while driving," he admitted. "So, ahead of the next home race, it was a really good lesson. But now we focus on Monaco, because it's going to be important to be on top of the game."

"I need to learn as well sometimes to say no and take a bit more time for myself," Antonelli concluded.

Antonelli struggled during the race and retired on Lap 46 after a technical issue with his Mercedes W16.