Kimi Antonelli, a 20-year-old Italian Formula 1 driver, says he realized almost immediately after driving the 2026 Mercedes car that his journey in Formula 1 would change dramatically. Antonelli, who is leading the world championship in his second season, shared his reflections on his breakthrough year in an exclusive interview with BBC Sport. His first season in F1 was challenging, which led to low expectations at the start of this year. However, during a cold and wet January practice session at Silverstone, he felt a significant shift. "It was just a few laps in the wet," Antonelli said, "but I just felt better in the car, much better than I felt last year. I was less tense, more relaxed, and more mature." Last year, Antonelli described his performance as "not great," noting that he often drove with tension and struggled to reach his full potential. This year, he emphasizes that the biggest change has been his mindset. After 14 races, with either eight or nine remaining depending on the Middle East conflict, Antonelli is 81 points ahead of his teammate George Russell. He has been consistently fast and composed, dominating every race. The championship is widely considered over, unless something dramatic happens. Antonelli says he is "still finding my way" in F1. Last year, he was significantly outperformed by Russell. When it became clear that Mercedes would have an advantage in the new regulatory era, Russell started the season as the favorite. Russell won the opening race in Australia, but Antonelli was less than three seconds behind him. This was the second moment Antonelli realized how much he might be capable of. Antonelli recalls a major crash during the Australian Grand Prix's third practice session. Despite the crash, he was able to return to the car and push close to the limit. However, the crash affected his qualifying and race performance. "I knew it wouldn't be easy," he said, "but I knew it was a different story compared to last year." Antonelli's first season in F1 was marred by a crash at the 2024 Italian Grand Prix. After being announced as Lewis Hamilton's replacement at Ferrari, Mercedes gave him a practice session at Monza. He was extremely fast on his first lap but crashed on the second. Team principal Toto Wolff downplayed the incident, saying he expected mistakes as Antonelli adjusted to F1. However, the crash had a lasting effect on Antonelli, who said it slowed him down for a long time. This memory of fear and the pressure to avoid mistakes was even stronger in 2025. "If I even do a mistake or I crash, it's even worse," he said. This year, he was able to move past it, thanks to extensive analysis of his performance from last year and work with his mental coach to stay focused and present. Antonelli admits he is "definitely surprised" by his progress. While he expected to improve from his first year, this season has been notably different. His first win and pole position have taken a lot of pressure off him. Russell has struggled, while Antonelli has consistently performed well. He recovers quickly from setbacks and is decisive in overtaking. There hasn't been a circuit where he lacks pace. Russell has admitted to struggling and said his driving style doesn't suit the new cars. This raises the question of whether Antonelli's success is due to his improvement or Russell's decline. Antonelli says he has definitely stepped up, noting that adapting to the new cars has been challenging. His consistency this year has come from finding a rhythm and sticking to his routines. He still has moments of misjudgment, like at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, where overexcitement after his Monaco win led to poor qualifying. After a strong win at Monza, he reminded himself not to repeat the mistake. He won the Spanish Grand Prix shortly after, marking his eighth victory of the season. Success has brought attention, and Antonelli acknowledges that life has changed significantly. While he enjoys the support, he must be more cautious to protect himself. He has focused on the process, doing his best every day without worrying about the big picture. Now, for the first time, the title is on his mind. He acknowledges it but believes finishing the season quickly is best. Until the championship is secured, the work continues.