Apr.1 (GMM) Kimi Antonelli’s stunning rise to the top of Formula 1 has continued with back-to-back pole positions in Shanghai and Suzuka – but not everyone is ready to credit the young Italian alone.
The 19-year-old Mercedes driver is now the youngest championship leader in the sport’s history, sitting 9 points clear of experienced teammate George Russell after the opening phase of the 2026 season.
Former F1 driver Mika Salo says Antonelli’s performances have been impressive – but also reflects the current pecking order.
“Suzuka was another strong performance from him,” he told Ilta Sanomat.
“Of course, Mercedes is an absolutely dominant car at the moment, so in practice it goes like this – if Russell doesn’t win, Antonelli wins. That’s how it was at least for the first part of this season.”
Salo also pointed to Antonelli’s long-standing integration within the Mercedes system as a key factor.
“It also matters a lot that he has been at Mercedes for a long time. He knows the organisation and knows how to utilise its resources,” he said.
“On the other hand, Mercedes has been able to mould him into the kind of driver they want.”
Even so, Salo expects Russell’s experience to become more relevant as the season unfolds.
“I think that over the course of the season, Russell’s experience will start to show,” he added.
“But it’s hard to judge. In recent seasons, he has consistently driven top performances in a car that hasn’t been among the fastest in the pits.”