James Hinchcliffe pinpoints the area Kimi Antonelli is ‘somewhat lacking’ after his first six races in Formula 1

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Kimi Antonelli finally showed a glimpse of how special he can be in a Formula 1 car with an incredible lap to get pole position for the Miami Grand Prix sprint race.

After just one practice session on Friday, he found a better setup for his Mercedes car than any of his rivals did and put his car in a great spot.

Sadly, Antonelli’s sprint would be interrupted by Max Verstappen’s pitstop blunder, forcing him to take an effective drive-through penalty.

But, encouraging signs were there for the Italian driver, who sits sixth in the drivers’ championship, six races into his rookie Formula 1 campaign.

Martin Brundle says Antonelli needs to fix a glaring issue if he wants to become a star in the future. He has the right team and tools to become one.

Antonelli urged Mercedes to analyse his Miami race after struggling to sixth on Sunday. It was a stark contrast to Friday.

READ MORE: Martin Brundle tells gutted Kimi Antonelli he’s a brilliant ‘young man’ after heroic act at Miami Grand Prix

Kimi Antonelli is ‘lacking’ the ability to maintain strong pace at the front in a Mercedes

Antonelli has already proven Lewis Hamilton wrong after the seven-time champion predicted that the 18-year-old would need time before getting up to speed.

Showing the form that he has just six races into his career is an ominous sign, but now he will be desperate to repeat it.

He’s yet to achieve a podium, but it’s likely that he will get the chance to compete for one soon, given that Mercedes’ car is usually stronger at European tracks.

James Hinchcliffe told the F1 website that he believes the young Italian is still lacking in one area after watching him closely.

“This area of his game [race pace] is more in line with what you’d expect from a rookie – especially considering Russell is performing at an exceptional level at present,” he said.

“While he has shown a decent ability to manage his tyres – a skill set that is absolutely crucial in this generation of Formula 1 – his ability to maintain front-running pace simultaneously is somewhat lacking.”

READ MORE: Martin Brundle made one Kimi Antonelli prediction ahead of the 2025 F1 season that has already turned out to be untrue

Are Mercedes going to retain Kimi Antonelli for the 2026 F1 season?

Although Mercedes currently have no drivers contracted for 2026, there’s virtually no chance that they will waste the level of investment they have made in Antonelli by dropping him.

He will have one year of experience, and he is starting from square one for the 2026 F1 regulations – as will all of his rivals.

It means that talent and skill will be a bigger factor than usual. Challenging for a championship straight away could be a possibility if he adjusts well to the new machinery.

Particularly considering that rumours suggest Mercedes’ power unit is very strong, they could be in a great position to do well in the future.