Kimi Antonelli reveals Roger Federer advice on handling F1 title race pressure

As the Formula 1 circus descends upon the Belgian Grand Prix, Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli arrives armed with a unique piece of advice from tennis legend Roger Federer, aiming to regain control after a recent run of car problems.

The Italian’s lead in the Formula 1 standings has been cut to 25 points, but a chance encounter in the Royal Box at Wimbledon offered a fresh perspective on managing pressure.

"About pressure, he just told me to really focus one race at a time, just focus on what you can control, and also to control the emotions, especially the ones that can make you do mistakes," Antonelli revealed on Thursday.

"Those were the main pieces of advice. Other than that, it was an incredible experience to witness."

Antonelli appears to be heeding the counsel, maintaining his focus and race-winning pace despite threats to Mercedes’ supremacy from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. This marks a stark contrast to last year, when errors on familiar European tracks sent his confidence plummeting.

"I just need to maximise every opportunity I get, what I have in control, and then we’ll see what the rest will be," Antonelli added. "It's part of the sport and the team are doing a tremendous job to make sure that all these issues are not happening again."

Conversely, it is his more seasoned Mercedes teammate, George Russell, who finds himself grappling with form. Russell’s second-place finish at the British Grand Prix was largely attributed to fortune rather than outright speed, benefiting from Antonelli’s car trouble, a Max Verstappen crash, and a strategic misstep by Hamilton.

Despite closing in on Antonelli in the standings, Russell admitted feeling "less satisfied" with that home podium than he did after breaking down from the lead in Canada. The fast, sweeping Belgian circuit, with its similarities to Silverstone, could present further challenges for Russell and an opportunity for Ferrari.

Leclerc and Ferrari were surprised by their winning pace in Britain and have since been working to understand what contributed to that performance, hoping to replicate it this weekend. Meanwhile, Hamilton told Sky Sports that Mercedes remains the team to beat and "should be a lot further ahead" in the standings by now.

Elsewhere on the grid, Lando Norris faces a significant setback, entering the race with a 10-place grid penalty after McLaren replaced a troublesome electrical part on his car.

His teammate, Oscar Piastri, spent Thursday reassuring the media of his trust in McLaren’s assurances regarding his future, despite reported interest in signing Max Verstappen.

Four-time champion Verstappen, while keeping his future options open, offered warm words for Red Bull team boss Laurent Mekies.

After Verstappen’s frustration with Red Bull’s "dangerous" car following consecutive rear wing failures, the team is reverting to an older design this week, a move that could potentially impact his pace.