Kimi Antonelli continues to impress in the 2026 Formula 1 season, and is already being compared to some of the greatest names in the history of the category. For former driver Riccardo Patrese, the young Mercedes driver has developed a stance similar to champions like Max Verstappen, Michael Schumacher, and Ayrton Senna, something he considers fundamental to winning titles.
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The Italian believes that Antonelli has undergone a significant change in his mindset compared to last season. According to Patrese, the young Italian driver left behind the shyness he showed in his debut season and began to display a much more striking confidence within the competitive environment of the category.
The improvement in results also reinforces this perception. Antonelli has won four of the five races held so far this year and leads the drivers’ championship with a 43-point advantage over his teammate, George Russell. The gap increased after the Briton’s retirement at the Canadian GP, when both were directly competing for the win.
Even with a comfortable margin in the standings, the scenario is still far from decided. With seventeen rounds remaining on the calendar, the Mercedes driver still has a long way to go, although it is currently Russell who needs to make up ground in the championship fight.
When analyzing the moment experienced by the young Italian, Patrese highlighted the change in attitude as one of the most important factors for his growth. For the former driver, a certain dose of arrogance is part of the personality of those who want to reach the top of Formula 1.
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“He is no longer shy and now is even arrogant sometimes. But you need to be like that. Verstappen is like that. In the past, people like Schumacher, Senna, and other drivers of their eras were in that same group and were also a bit arrogant,” he said.
Despite the praise, Patrese pointed out that the title fight can still be influenced by various factors throughout the season. Among them are the reliability of the cars and the technical development of the competing teams in the coming months.
The former driver especially mentioned the progress shown by McLaren, which, in his assessment, made an important performance leap in Miami. He also recalled that Lando Norris showed strength in that race, but even considering all the variables of the fight, he revealed what his choice would be if he had to bet on a champion: “We need to see what will happen regarding car reliability and also the other competitors. They keep developing their cars. McLaren took a big step forward, especially in Miami, where Norris looked very strong, but if I had to make a bet, I would personally bet on Kimi,” Patrese concluded.
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