Kimi Antonelli makes staggering F1 struggles claim: 'Water full of sharks'

Kimi Antonelli has claimed F1 is a "water full of sharks" as he opened up on the early struggles he has endured during his F1 career.

The Mercedes rookie is enduring a period of difficulty ahead of this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix following a disastrous triple-header. 

After the highs of securing sprint pole in Miami, the young Italian has battled through several lows in recent weeks. 

Antonelli struggled for pace in Imola before suffering a technical retirement, before he crashed in qualifying in Monaco. This was compounded by a power unit failure in Barcelona. 

After a strong start to his F1 career, it is his first experience of a difficult period, which has seen him look to his loved ones for support.

"My dad is a great rock, he's a big rock for me," Antonelli told media including RacingNews365. 

"He's been there, he's been teaching me everything since I was very little, since karting. 

"I feel it's very important to have someone like him at the track, especially my first season in F1 because it's a completely new world, super intense and difficult as well.”

Antonelli admitted he has taken a mental knock following the difficult triple-header but has been working closely with his father to understand how to improve for the races ahead.

“I faced three really difficult weekends, and I have to be honest, on the mental side, that's not been easy.

"Because here it's like being in a water full of sharks, and if you don't perform, you get eaten by the sharks. So it's really important to be on top of it. And I think having him helps to stay sharp, to stay focused. 

"We talk about anything to be honest. We watch onboards together, and then we re-watch replays from previous years. We try to analyse stuff in order to have a better idea and try to improve for the next session."