Youngest F1 champion Antonelli reveals he repeatedly doubted himself during difficult rookie season

Kimi Antonelli has revealed he repeatedly questioned his own abilities during a difficult debut Formula 1 season, even as he reflects on a campaign that ultimately laid the foundation for his world championship triumph.

The Italian, 19, became the youngest F1 champion in history last weekend in Mexico City, clinching the title with four rounds remaining after his closest rivals lost any mathematical chance of catching him. Yet the picture looked starkly different just twelve months ago, when Antonelli entered the sport at 18 as the replacement for seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes.

“I’m not going to lie, I’ve been questioning myself over and over again last season during that stretch,” Antonelli told former F1 driver Anthony Davidson on the Nu Silver Arrows Radio Show. “There were good moments last season, of course, a long difficult period. But even though it was very tough back then, I got to experience all kinds of situations — the highs, the lows.”

Despite several standout performances in 2025, much of Antonelli’s rookie campaign proved inconsistent, prompting widespread debate over whether Mercedes had moved too quickly in promoting him directly into their works car. Antonelli acknowledged the pressure that came with stepping into one of the sport’s most scrutinised seats.

“Going straight into Mercedes, yes, it was difficult because I was much more under the spotlight,” he said. “And that made me push to try and learn even quicker. But being able to overcome that moment was what really shaped me.”

Crucial to his recovery, Antonelli said, was the unwavering backing of the team throughout his lowest moments. “When you know that you still got the same support, that people’s minds haven’t changed going through that difficult period — that was what helped me overcome it. I knew that despite not performing at the level I should have, I still had the full support of the team.”

He credited that loyalty with giving him the confidence to push through the uncertainty. “That made me realise I could rely on all of them and that they will always be behind me. It gave me the confidence to overcome that period.”

Now, having delivered Mercedes its first drivers’ championship since 2020, Antonelli is clear-eyed about what those early struggles were worth. “I’m very glad that the team went through all those difficult moments because I think they shaped me. They made me grow a lot faster, mature a lot faster,” he said. “I will always be grateful towards Mercedes and everyone involved in this project that started back in 2018.”

With four races still to run this season, Antonelli’s title is already secured — a remarkable turnaround for a driver who, just a year ago, was at the centre of questions about whether he belonged in Formula 1 at all.