BAKU — Championship leader Kimi Antonelli has "spooked himself" and must "get out of his head" to avoid crumbling under the pressure of the Formula 1 title fight, according to pundit Naomi Schiff. The Mercedes driver arrived at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with a commanding 81-point lead, which was reduced to 66 points after team-mate George Russell successfully converted pole position to a race victory.
Schiff said the championship leader is now fighting his own mindset as much as his rivals. Her warning was direct: Antonelli has spooked himself at the decisive stage of the season and needs to reset mentally to prevent the pressure from derailing his campaign.
The swing in Baku trimmed 15 points from Antonelli's advantage and tightened the intra-Mercedes battle at the top of the standings. Russell's pole-to-win performance cut the margin from 81 points to 66, putting renewed scrutiny on how Antonelli handles the closing races as the leader.
With the title still in his hands, the focus for Antonelli is composure. Schiff's assessment frames the run-in as a psychological test, where getting out of his head will be as important as pace in determining whether he holds his lead to the end of the season.