​As the Formula 1 circus heads to the Belgian Grand Prix, Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli arrives armed with a singular bit of counsel from tennis legend Roger Federer, hoping to regain momentum after a run of mechanical gremlins. The Italian’s advantage in the championship has narrowed to 25 points, yet a chance meeting in Wimbledon’s Royal Box provided a fresh lens on handling pressure. “About pressure, he just told me to really focus one race at a time, to focus on what you can control, and also to manage the emotions, especially the ones that can make you stumble,” Antonelli revealed on Thursday. “Those were the core pieces of advice. Beyond that, witnessing the moment was incredible.”
Antonelli seems to be heeding the guidance, keeping his focus sharp and maintaining his race-winning pace even as Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and teammate Lewis Hamilton pose threats to Mercedes’ supremacy. It’s a marked departure from last year when missteps on familiar European circuits undermined his confidence. He still holds a 25-point cushion in the drivers’ standings. “I just need to maximise every opportunity I get, what I have in control, and then we’ll see how the rest plays out,” Antonelli added. “It’s part of the sport, and the team is doing an outstanding job to ensure these issues aren’t recurring.”
Meanwhile, it is his more veteran teammate, George Russell, who is grappling with form. Russell’s British Grand Prix runner-up finish looked almost luck-driven, benefiting from Antonelli’s car troubles, a Max Verstappen crash, and a strategic slip from Hamilton. Though Russell closed the gap to Antonelli in the standings, he admitted feeling less content with that podium at home than after losing the lead in Canada. The Belgian circuit, with its fast, sweeping layout reminiscent of Silverstone, could pose further hurdles for Russell and might provide Ferrari with an opening to pounce.
Leclerc and Ferrari were surprised by their pace in Britain and have since been dissecting what contributed to that performance in hopes of reproducing it in Belgium. Meanwhile, Hamilton told Sky Sports that Mercedes remains the benchmark and “should be a lot further ahead” in the standings by now. On the rest of the grid, Lando Norris faces a significant setback, entering the Belgian race with a 10-place grid penalty after McLaren replaced a troublesome electrical component on his car. Norris’s teammate, Oscar Piastri, spent Thursday reassuring the media of his trust in McLaren’s assurances regarding his future, despite reports of interest in signing Max Verstappen.
Verstappen, meanwhile, while keeping his options open for the future, offered warm words for Red Bull team boss Laurent Mekies. As the sport shifts toward the Belgian GP, the focus remains on managing pressure, maximizing controllable elements, and maintaining peak performance across a demanding schedule. The Belgian track’s unique rhythm, demanding strategy, and the renewed competitiveness from Ferrari ensure that the pursuit of a championship lead will stay intensely contested this weekend and beyond.