Antonelli: Unsuccessful starts complicate my life.

      After two consecutive victories, Kimi Antonelli topped the individual standings – the Mercedes driver became the youngest leader of the championship in the history of Formula 1. After finishing the Japanese Grand Prix, the 19-year-old Mercedes driver said he tries not to think about the title, as he still needs to improve in several areas, especially since the competition with his teammate will be very fierce.

      Question: This is your second victory, and it was achieved on one of the most famous tracks in the world – can you share your impressions? Kimi Antonelli: Yes, I am very happy to return to the top step of the podium. Of course, this is a special victory, won on a truly special track. But you know, on one hand, I am very satisfied, on the other, I am a bit upset about the poor start.

      I need to work on that properly, as the starts have definitely not been very successful, and I am just making my life much harder. Of course, I was very lucky that the safety car came out at just the right moment, but the pace was very good, which pleased me a lot.

      Question: What kind of difficulties prevented you from getting off the line properly? Kimi Antonelli: I think I released the clutch too abruptly – more abruptly than I should have. Also, of course, the tires were quite cold, which caused the rear wheels to spin, and I lost a lot of positions.

      Question: You knew you had a fast car, but what were you thinking on the first lap when you dropped to 6th position? Kimi Antonelli: I can't tell you that, but I was incredibly angry.

      Question: Did you think at that moment that victory was still possible? Kimi Antonelli: Maybe. I suppose when I found myself behind Charles Leclerc's Ferrari, it wasn't so easy to move forward, as we used the hybrid system's energy quite differently, and finding a suitable place to overtake was difficult.

      Then he went for a pit stop, and we managed to significantly increase the pace. After that, of course, I was lucky with the safety car, because if it hadn't come out, I don't know what the result would have been. The task would have been significantly complicated, although you never know how everything will turn out.

      Question: Now you have become the youngest leader of the championship in the history of Formula 1 and the first Italian since Alberto Ascari to win two races in a row. Can you imagine how this news will be received in your homeland of Italy? Kimi Antonelli: I don't know, but we will find out soon. I am trying not to think about the championship for now. Of course, it's great, but there is still a long way to go until the end of the season, and the bar needs to be raised higher and higher, because my teammate, George Russell, is a very fast driver, and I have no doubt that he will return to his normal level.

      Moreover, the competitors will eventually manage to close the gap, so we need to keep pushing and performing better.

      Question: The next race is only in five weeks, and the Mercedes team has won all the already held stages. Can you highlight any one area that the team will need to work on during the April break? Kimi Antonelli: It's hard to say. I think we have a great car. Although, it might be worth working on the start procedure, even though today it was unsuccessful solely because of my fault. But at the beginning of the season, both George and I have faced more difficulties than we expected, while the McLaren drivers started excellently today.

      In general, the competitors are definitely handling this better than us, although, of course, it also depends on the actions of the drivers. In this regard, Oscar Piastri did everything much better than I did, but I messed it up myself. I just need to keep working on this.

      Question: Oliver Berman had a very unpleasant crash – I don't know if you managed to see the replay of that incident. But the incident mainly occurred due to the speed difference between the two cars. We know that drivers have already expressed their concerns about this. How important is it to take some measures before the race in Miami? Kimi Antonelli: I haven't had the chance to properly figure out what happened there, and I also don't know how the driver in front of Berman acted. Maybe he was aggressively moving on the trajectory? I want to say that the crash is certainly very dangerous, and the FIA is already looking into how to achieve some improvements before the Miami stage. We'll see what measures will be taken, but we must acknowledge that the problem is very complex.

      Question: You already said that there is a long way to go until the end of the championship, but the Mercedes drivers have already achieved three victories, two of which are on your account. There is a high probability that the title will go to one of you. However, are you ready for competition with your teammate, and are you not worried about the prospect that this might make your relationship a bit more tense? Kimi Antonelli: No, I'm not worried. I just intend to focus on my tasks, on what I need to do, and I will try to act as correctly as possible – both in terms of starts and driving in general. George is a great driver, and I have no doubt that competing with him will be very challenging. Moreover, I think Ferrari and McLaren will be catching up with us, so it's important to continue performing as well as possible. I have already said that the bar needs to be raised higher and higher.

      Of course, I am happy with how everything is going at the moment, and the rest does not worry me for now. I will try to make the most efficient use of my time during the upcoming break to understand how to achieve improvements in several areas and perform even more confidently.

      Question: You said that George Russell will soon return to his usual level, but do you feel that this year you have closed the gap with your teammate compared to what it was last season? And to what extent does the transition of Formula 1 to the new regulations contribute to this? Kimi Antonelli: Since everyone had to start practically from scratch this year, of course, that helps me, you understand. But I can definitely say that I am really catching up with my teammate. I believe that in qualifying he still outpaces me, especially when it comes to the final session. He always manages to add a bit, but I am also working on that.

      But if we talk about race pace, we have laid a really good foundation here. In general, he is a great driver, and there are no weak points in his professional preparation. I think he demonstrated that several times last year, so competing with him will not be easy; for that, I need to do everything as close to perfection as possible.