Kimi Antonelli reveals 'kick in the pants' after European horror

Kimi Antonelli has revealed that he received a "kick in the pants" from his father and Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff after Monza, a race which ended a nightmare period. 

After showing immediate potential in the opening rounds of his rookie campaign, Antonelli endured a horrific run across the European races. 

Remarkably, the 19-year-old scored just three points across the nine rounds in Europe, compared to the 119 points he has accumulated across the rest of the season so far. 

As soon as F1 returned to the flyaways after the Italian GP, Antonelli's pace immediately returned, with the young Italian now acknowledging that he was hit hard by what unfolded in Europe.

Informed by Blick that just three of his 122 points scored so far this season were claimed in Europe, Antonelli said: "That looks very strange. I thought I could use my experience in Europe. 

"And then I was hit with reality, which surprised me. I expected things that didn't happen, things that were completely different each time. I quickly learned that every race weekend unfolds differently."

While Antonelli suffered some mechanical failures during the European leg of the championship, the Mercedes rookie never looked comfortable despite having past junior experience at most of the venues.

Discussing what caused his European nightmare, Antonelli explained: "We had some mechanical problems, and with the new suspension, I simply couldn't find a rhythm. 

"I didn't feel comfortable in the cockpit because nothing seemed to fit together anymore."

Antonelli's poor form escape

Antonelli's issues quickly impacted his results in Europe, adding to the difficulty of his situation.

"That made me even more nervous," added Antonelli. "I constantly put myself under pressure, overdid it, made mistakes I never normally made."

Antonelli's season looked set to spiral out of control in Europe; however, he has turned it around dramatically ever since F1 left the continent. 

As recently as São Paulo, Antonelli showed excellent pace to claim second in both the Sprint and the grand prix, and is now backed as a potential contender in Las Vegas. 

Reflecting on his first European leg as an F1 driver, Antonelli recognises he would never have escaped the horror show he was enduring, had it not been for those within his camp.

Asked who helped get him out of his poor run of form, Antonelli revealed: "My boss, Toto Wolff, and my father. They each gave me a good kick in the pants after Monza. 

"Those verbal rebukes and pieces of advice hurt, but I needed that reset. I had to refocus on the important things to get back to my old form. 

"I never would have gotten out of that mess on my own. A long meeting with my engineers also helped."