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Kimi Antonelli has been told that he is still missing ‘so many things’ to become a ‘world-class’ Formula 1 driver.
Teenage star Antonelli is currently the favourite to win the 2026 F1 world title as he leads Mercedes teammate George Russell at the top of the standings.
Following a hat-trick of victories in China, Japan and Miami, Antonelli extended the gap between himself and Russell to 20 points.
The 2026 F1 season will continue later this month with the Canadian Grand Prix, where Russell will be under pressure to bounce back.
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Rob Smedley says Kimi Antonelli is missing ‘many things’ to be ‘world-class’
Despite his flying start to the season, former Ferrari race engineer Rob Smedley believes Antonelli is still missing ‘so many things’ to become ‘world-class’.
Speaking on the latest episode of the High Performance Racing podcast, Smedley stated that although he feels Antonelli is more naturally talented than Russell, the young Italian still has a lot to learn.
He explained: “He is a great driver, is he a world champion? Too early to tell, it’s way too early. There are so many things that he’s missing.
“But, in terms of talent, look at his rise through the junior formula; he always did well, he always took a little bit of time to get on top of it.
“I think Kimi is probably the more naturally talented, but natural talent will only take you so far. I think just the way that he’s always been excellent in the junior series, and then he just has a huge amount of raw speed.
“He clearly has a lot of raw speed. Now, that’s nowhere near enough to be a world-class driver.”
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Otmar Szafnauer says Kimi Antonelli needs time to be ‘world-class’
Agreeing with Smedley’s comments, ex-Alpine team boss Otmar Szafnauer said it will take time before Antonelli becomes world-class.
The 61-year-old believes the Italian teenager has all the potential to reach the top and claimed that we will see an even better version of Antonelli when he turns 25 or 26 years old.
Szafnauer said: “He’s a teenager. And with time, physiologically, he’s going to get mentally stronger because all the different areas of your brain connect. I’m not sure those connections can have a shortcut.
“I think it just takes time. So, I think by the time he gets to 25, 26, you’ll see an even better Kimi Antonelli.”
In truth, it is far too early to pinpoint who will win the 2026 F1 world title as the season is only four races old. However, it is clear that the momentum is with Antonelli and Russell will need to step up big time if he is to get back into the title race.
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