Kimi Antonelli admitted that he could face a difficult battle to extend his remarkable winning streak after a challenging opening day of practice at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.
The Mercedes youngster ended Friday’s second practice session in fifth place, finishing six-tenths of a second behind pace-setter Lando Norris. While the result was far from disastrous, Antonelli acknowledged that several of his key rivals currently appear to have an advantage heading into qualifying.
The 19-year-old arrives in Barcelona in exceptional form, having won the last five Formula 1 races. That dominant run has helped him establish a commanding 66-point lead at the top of the drivers’ championship standings, making him the clear favourite for the title. However, Friday’s running suggested that continuing that momentum this weekend may not be straightforward.
Speaking after the session, Antonelli highlighted tyre management as one of the biggest issues affecting his performance. The Italian explained that overheating tyres made it difficult to extract maximum pace during qualifying simulations, limiting his ability to put together a competitive lap.
“It’s been a bit tricky over a single lap,” Antonelli admitted. “The operating window is very small and the tyres are overheating quite a lot. I’m trying to find the best balance, and with only one lap available on each set, it becomes difficult to learn and improve.”
Despite the challenges, Antonelli remained optimistic that Mercedes could find improvements overnight. He pointed out that the team was using a heavily worn set of brakes during Friday’s running, something that should not affect performance when qualifying begins on Saturday.
The young Mercedes star also acknowledged the strength of the competition around him. He singled out teammate George Russell and the McLaren team as particularly impressive during the day’s action.
“George looks very quick, and McLaren also seems very strong,” Antonelli said. “It’s not going to be easy, but we’ll analyse everything from today’s sessions, work through the data tonight and try to come back stronger tomorrow.”
While his one-lap pace raised concerns, Antonelli took encouragement from Mercedes’ performance over longer runs. Race simulations appeared significantly more competitive, giving him confidence that the car has the potential to fight near the front if improvements can be found before qualifying.
“The long-run pace was good, which is definitely a positive,” he added. “There’s still quite a bit of work to do, but I’m confident we can make progress.”
Friday’s sessions were topped by McLaren’s Lando Norris, who laid down an early marker for the weekend. Russell also impressed, finishing among the fastest drivers and placing himself between the two McLaren cars on the timing sheets. Meanwhile, reigning world champion Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton both endured difficult days as they searched for improvements.
Away from the on-track action, Formula 1 continues to be dominated by controversy surrounding the Monaco Grand Prix. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has revealed that the team has already consulted legal experts following the FIA’s decision to reinstate Pierre Gasly’s podium finish.
Gasly was restored to third place after Alpine successfully challenged penalties that had previously dropped him down the order. The ruling has triggered widespread debate throughout the paddock, with both Red Bull and McLaren formally initiating their own Right of Review procedures in response.
The ongoing dispute has created uncertainty around the final Monaco result and sparked fresh tensions between several leading teams and the FIA. As legal discussions continue behind the scenes, the controversy threatens to overshadow another important race weekend.
For Antonelli, however, the immediate focus remains on Barcelona. With rivals showing impressive pace and Mercedes still searching for the perfect setup, the championship leader faces one of his toughest weekends in recent memory as he attempts to extend a remarkable run of victories.
