Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli is the shooting star of the 2026 Formula 1 season – but how will the young Italian deal with the hype surrounding him?
Kimi Antonelli is not only currently leading the Formula 1 world championship, the 19-year-old is also praised by many fans of the premier class for his open and honest nature. However, expert David Coulthard fears that this will not last forever.
“That will change,” announced the 2001 runner-up in the Up To Speed podcast, explaining that “everything is still new and exciting” for Antonelli in only his second Formula 1 season. But that will inevitably change at some point.
Sooner or later, the situation will become “tiring for the Mercedes driver because people constantly want something from him”, predicts Coulthard. As the world championship leader, the Italian is already much more in the spotlight than he was in his rookie season.
According to Coulthard, “maybe not this year”, but “certainly” sooner or later, Formula 1 will take its toll on Antonelli. “We don’t want him to lose this enthusiasm just yet,” emphasizes the 13-time Grand Prix winner.
In addition, Coulthard explains that the situation could also have an impact on the race track. “The other question is whether he can keep up the pace of a Grand Prix season, because it’s exhausting,” explains the Scot from his own experience.
“I think that’s exactly what we saw last year with Oscar Piastri,” he draws a comparison and explains that the Australian made “a series of mistakes” in the second half of the season in 2025, which ultimately meant that he did not become world champion in the end.
“That’s where Lando [Norris], who had more experience, was able to come out on top,” says Coulthard. Antonelli is currently in a very similar situation to Piastri, because he is leading the world championship ahead of his much more experienced team-mate George Russell.
Expert Ralf Schumacher also recently emphasized that Antonelli should not “tense up” during the course of the year. Because that is exactly what happened to Piastri last year in the title fight.
