Kimi Antonelli: I’m overdriving and haven’t felt good in the car in Barcelona so far

The Formula 1 championship leader has been the benchmark driver for much of the 2026 season, arriving in Spain on the back of five consecutive victories. But Barcelona has proven a tougher challenge, with Antonelli conceding he has struggled to adapt to the demands of the circuit and the conditions.

Speaking after qualifying, the 19-year-old Italian was candid about his difficulties: "I haven't felt good in the car. I haven't been able to adapt the driving style to the conditions we have this weekend. Obviously it's a track that doesn't forgive, especially because the tyres struggle to last over one lap.

"I haven't been able to extract the maximum time out of the tyres over the whole lap. I had a really strong lap up until turn five and then I just lost lots of time from there on. I think I've been over-driving a little bit. This is a weekend where you kind of need to drive slow to go fast, and I haven't done that well."

Despite his frustrations, Antonelli still secured a place on the second row and remains optimistic about Sunday's race. The Mercedes driver believes the stronger long-run pace shown during Friday practice could help him recover against Russell and Hamilton over race distance.

"It has been a more difficult weekend on my side so far compared to recent races," Antonelli reflected later in Mercedes' team report. "I've not felt as one with the car here in Barcelona. That is partly because of the conditions here where it is not only very hot.

"The track is punishing on the tyres too. I feel like I might have been pushing a bit too much in qualifying and in the final sector, I could feel the lap time slipping away."

Rather than dwelling on qualifying, Antonelli is already focused on the bigger challenge ahead: "Our long run in FP2 was strong so hopefully we can carry that pace into tomorrow. P3 is not a bad position to be starting, and it will be a long race.

"It will be crucial to look after the tyres and maybe drive a little slower at times to go fast. It will be a strategically difficult race; we will do our best and try to maximise the result," added Antonelli.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff was not overly concerned by Antonelli's deficit to Russell, pointing out that the teenager lost valuable track time after sitting out first practice for a rookie session: "On Kimi's side, missing FP1 took some track time away from him but P3 is still a solid result. It is easy to forget he is only in his second year and has an incredibly fast team-mate alongside him."

Wolff also highlighted Antonelli's encouraging race simulations from Friday, suggesting the Grand Prix could tell a different story to qualifying: "His long run pace in FP2 was competitive so I am sure he will be looking forward to tomorrow.

"It will be a long race tomorrow with high tyre degradation. Whilst we want to be leading the way into turn one, we know the Grand Prix can't be won there but can be lost. We will need to look after the tyres well, hopefully have good pace, and see what we are racing for come the closing stages," concluded Wolff.

With Russell back on pole and Hamilton alongside him on the front row, Antonelli faces one of his sternest tests since his streak began. Hpwever, if Mercedes' long-run pace proves as strong as expected, the championship leader may still have a major role to play when the strategic battle unfolds on Sunday.