Kimi Antonelli pinpoints key 'downfall' factor in worrying Mercedes form

Kimi Antonelli has addressed how mounting pressure accelerated his "downfall" in performance earlier in the season.

The Mercedes driver is midway through his rookie campaign and experienced a damaging slump in results after an initial strong start to life in F1.

The 19-year-old, who maintains he sees pressure as a positive, described how - because of how much he was struggling to arrest his worrying slide in form - it began to be a problem for him.

Antonelli started the year in a style befitting the lofty expectations placed on his young shoulders, scoring points in five of the opening six rounds.

However, a rear suspension update on his W16 at Imola made the car more unstable, robbing him of the confidence he had in it before the upgrade.

It sparked a downward spiral in form, with only his maiden podium finish - at the Canadian Grand Prix - to show for the next seven rounds.

But, having scored his first point in Europe at the Hungarian Grand Prix - and followed that up with two more at Monza - after the Brackley-based team rowed back that development, Antonelli is keen to vanquish the demons that have plagued him since the start of the European season.

When asked how he was affected by the pressure to perform during his meagre run of results, and what Mercedes had done to alleviate it, the Italian driver shared his normal perspective on it, and how his loss of pace affected him.

"Well, usually, I always try to see pressure, not as a bad thing," Antonelli explained to media, including RacingNews365.

"I always try to embrace the pressure, because there's a very famous saying that says that pressure is a privilege, and I fully agree with that.

"You need to try to embrace it and even use it as a fuel to perform and to shine.

"But, because I was struggling so much, then I couldn't really handle the pressure that well, and that was a bit of the downfall for me."

Soaking up the pressure

Antonelli highlighted how Mercedes has supported him in handling the pressure of tense situations, like when he was defending his position in the top three in the latter stages of the race in Montreal.

"Of course, when you're feeling good and you're feeling confident, then also with the pressure, you're able to deal with it much better," he said.

"I think Canada was also a good example, being under pressure in the race. And also thanks to the team, I was able to stay calm and stay focused on what I had to achieve.

"But on your question about how the team helps me, they always try to, first of all, to support me, and also they always try to help me, especially in moments when I'm struggling, and that helps as well to feel a bit less pressure, because you've got the team behind you."