Kimi Antonelli is planning to use the Formula 1 spring break as an opportunity to improve upon the race starts which have threatened to plague his 2026 campaign.
The championship leader has won two races from pole this year, despite losing a combined 18 positions on lap one across the three grands prix and China sprint.
There are various reasons behind his struggles, such as a lack of battery power at the Melbourne opener, whereas in Japan he caught too much wheelspin after dropping the clutch too deep.
This comes amid changes to the race start procedure, as the removal of the MGU-H means drivers must rev their engines much higher for at least 10 seconds to spool up the turbo.
It is one area of the new 2026 regulations that the dominant Mercedes team is yet to master, as Antonelli’s team-mate George Russell has lost five positions on lap one following two poles.
So it’s largely down to the superiority of the W17 that Antonelli has managed to recover and still take wins in China and Japan – but one certainly felt sweeter for him than the other.
“In Japan, on Sunday, I didn’t enjoy the victory as much as I wanted because I was upset about the start,” Antonelli, who initially dropped from first to sixth at Suzuka before recovering thanks to a safety car intervention, told Sky Sport Italy.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Oscar Piastri, McLaren, George Russell, Mercedes
Photo by: Mark Thompson / Getty Images
“Of course, I was aware that I had been very lucky despite that. I was happy with how I managed to take advantage of the opportunity and also with the race pace.
“But I was very angry about the start – it was really shocking, the kind of thing that makes you want to pull your hair out. I’m already working on it.”
So improving on that is how Antonelli is planning to spend the five-week break between rounds three (Japan) and four (Miami) due to the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian grands prix.
When asked how he’ll achieve that, the 19-year-old replied: “Definitely on the simulator for race starts. I’ll soon receive the steering wheel with all my settings. Let’s say I’m already thinking about how to work to improve those starts.”
But there’s also other ways in which Antonelli plans to keep sharp during this break, including a test for tyre supplier Pirelli at the Nurburgring on 14-15 April alongside Mercedes customer McLaren.
“I’ll do a GP2 test, then a Pirelli Formula 1 test, and some days in go-karting,” said the Italian. “And maybe a GT day if I can, but that’s not certain. But it will definitely be a break focused on the track, simulator, work at home and training.”
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