'Drive as free as possible' – Antonelli reveals mindset in maiden title bid ahead of Dutch Grand Prix

Kimi Antonelli admits he intends to "drive as free as possible" despite the pressure of leading this year's Formula 1 Drivers' Championship, suggesting that one of the Mercedes driver's biggest opponents could be himself.

The Italian teenager returns from the summer break ahead of this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix with a 50-point lead in the drivers' standings, having taken six wins from 11 Grands Prix in the opening half of the season.

Antonelli reached the podium in three other races and has only failed to score in two Grands Prix so far this season, courtesy of car troubles in Barcelona and Silverstone.

Speaking during Thursday's media day, Antonelli insisted he would try not overthink the title battle during the second half of the season.

"I know the expectations are very high but on my side, just need to keep delivering the result, just doing my job the best way I can without worrying about the championship," he said.

"Of course, I don't want to go in the car driving and thinking about the championship or being afraid to do mistakes or stuff like that. Of course, there will be times where I might think more before doing something, but other than that, I just want to drive as free as possible and enjoy it all the way. Then we'll see where we end up at the end of the year."

Although Mercedes have generally been the dominant team under the new-for-2026 regulations, Ferrari and McLaren have started to trouble the German manufacturer, with Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris all scoring wins in the previous five races.

And while Antonelli has yet to make any serious mistakes during his sophomore season, the championship leader is aware that he could be his own worst enemy if he gets carried away with title aspirations.

"I think we could say one of my opponents is myself. That's why it's really important to keep having a solid mindset, always have the focus on the right things and always go in the car with the right mindset," he said.

"A good level of intensity and then keep working with the people that I trust and keep also in case I need them, also make the best use of it.

"It's going to be a very intense second half with a lot of triple headers, lot of travelling, going to a lot of different places but I'm really excited. Ready to embrace the challenge and hopefully it's going to be a great second half."