​On the grass courts of Wimbledon or racing through the Belgian forests, what matters most is staying in control. Kimi Antonelli heads into the Belgian Grand Prix with a piece of advice he recently picked up from Roger Federer. After a run of car problems dented the Italian’s Formula 1 standings lead, a conversation with the tennis legend in the Royal Box at Wimbledon offered a fresh perspective on how to stop these blips from turning into a slump. “About pressure, he told me to really focus one race at a time, to concentrate on what you can control, and also to manage the emotions—especially those that can make you make mistakes,” Antonelli said Thursday. “Those were the core pieces of guidance. Beyond that, it was an incredible experience to witness.”
So far, Antonelli appears to be maintaining focus, even as Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton threaten Mercedes’ hegemony. Antonelli hasn’t surrendered any of his race-winning pace, unlike last year, when confidence dipped after errors on European tracks he knew all too well. “I just need to maximize every opportunity I get, what I have in control, and then we’ll see what the rest will be,” Antonelli explained. “It’s part of the sport, and the team is doing a tremendous job to ensure these issues don’t reoccur.”
Meanwhile, it’s his more seasoned Mercedes teammate George Russell who’s been the one facing difficulties. Russell’s second-place finish at the British Grand Prix felt more like a stroke of luck than a demonstration of speed, as he benefited from Antonelli’s car trouble, a Verstappen crash, and a strategic misstep by Hamilton. Russell narrowed Antonelli’s lead to 25 points but admitted he felt less satisfied with that home podium than he did when breaking away from the field in Canada.
The Belgian circuit’s fast, sweeping layout shares several characteristics with Silverstone, a factor that could present a challenge to Russell and an opening for Ferrari. Leclerc and Ferrari were surprised by the pace Ferrari managed to show in Britain, and they have been working since then to understand what worked so well in order to deliver that performance again this weekend. Mercedes remains the team to beat and “should be a lot further ahead” in the standings, Hamilton told Sky Sports.
One driver who is unlikely to contend for the win is Lando Norris. The defending champion arrives at this week’s race carrying a 10-place grid penalty after McLaren replaced a troublesome electrical component on his car. Teammate Oscar Piastri spent Thursday stressing his trust in McLaren’s assurances that he will remain with the team next year, despite rumors of interest in signing Max Verstappen. Four-time champion Verstappen left his future open on Thursday but offered warm words for Red Bull team boss Laurent Mekies, who began his tenure a year ago with a stunning sprint-win for Verstappen in Belgium.