BAKU — Championship leader Kimi Antonelli has "spooked himself" amid the pressure of the Formula 1 title fight and must "get out of his head" to avoid crumbling, according to pundit Naomi Schiff. The assessment puts the Mercedes driver's mindset at the center of the championship battle as the season enters its decisive phase.
Antonelli arrived at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with a commanding 81-point lead at the top of the standings. That advantage was reduced to 66 points after teammate George Russell successfully converted pole position to a race victory in Baku, a 15-point swing that tightened the intra-team fight and trimmed the championship cushion in a single weekend.
Schiff warned that Antonelli is now battling his own thoughts as much as his rivals on track. With momentum shifting inside Mercedes and the gap narrowed, she said a mental reset is essential if the championship leader is to steady his form and withstand the mounting pressure at the front of the field.