Kimi Antonelli is having an impressive start to the 2026 Formula 1 season, but still has a weak point that could compromise his title campaign. For Jenson Button, the young Mercedes driver will become ‘unstoppable’ if he manages to solve his problems at the starts.
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Even leading the championship and coming off three consecutive wins, Antonelli lost positions at every start so far this season. In all starts this year, including the two Sprint races, the Italian dropped from the front row to the middle of the pack still in the first lap.
At the Miami GP, for example, Antonelli started from pole position but fell to third at turn 1. The driver regained a position after Max Verstappen’s mistake and returned to second place, behind Charles Leclerc, before securing another victory.
The win in Florida marked the Mercedes driver’s third consecutive victory in Formula 1. Antonelli also became the first driver in history to achieve his first three wins after starting from the first three poles of his career, opening a twenty-point lead over teammate George Russell in the championship standings.
After the Sprint in Miami, Mercedes took responsibility for the Italian’s poor start performance. The team stated that Antonelli received incorrect settings for the start, a problem that was partially corrected before the main race.
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Button, former F1 driver and 2009 champion, believes the Italian’s talent is already evident but sees room for improvement in races: “He is really impressive. I think in the first two wins there was a bit of luck involved, something all drivers need, but he took advantage of that and showed his pace,” he told Sky Sports News.
The Briton also highlighted Antonelli’s performance in Miami, especially in the final part of the race: “In the last race in Miami he was very impressive. He was a bit disadvantaged at the start behind Lando Norris, but he recovered, and his pace at the end of the race was extremely strong,” he added.
Finally, Button emphasized that starts remain the main point of attention for the championship leader: “There is still a lot of room for improvement in his races. He is struggling at the starts and losing positions in every race. When he fixes that, he looks like he will be unstoppable,” he concluded.
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