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The young Formula 1 championship leader has decided to dedicate the upcoming pause in the calendar to a single, specific objective: better race starts. Despite claiming two wins from pole so far this season, Kimi Antonelli has seen his opening laps unravel on multiple occasions, surrendering a combined total of 18 positions on the first lap across three grands prix and the China sprint. The pattern has exposed vulnerabilities beyond car pace: technical quirks linked to the 2026 rules, and moments of driver error have both played a part in those early setbacks.
Antonelli — 19 years old — has been frank that not all victories have felt the same because of these opening-lap dramas. After the Japanese round at Suzuka he briefly fell from first to sixth before recovering for the win following a safety car intervention. He said that the joy of the result was tempered by frustration over what happened at the start, and now plans a concentrated training block during the extended break that sits between rounds three (Japan) and four (Miami) following the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian grands prix.
Why the starts have been a problem
There are several concrete reasons behind the poor launches. In Melbourne the team faced an unexpected deficit in battery power that compromised launch performance, while at Suzuka Antonelli admitted he got too much wheelspin after dropping the clutch too deep. The rule changes for 2026 also introduced a new procedural challenge: with the removal of the MGU-H, drivers must rev the engine substantially higher for at least 10 seconds so the turbo can spool up. That technical shift has proven tricky to manage in race conditions and has impacted not just Antonelli but his team-mate too.
Team-level and technical factors
The dominant W17 remains the base advantage that lets Antonelli recover positions, but it doesn’t erase the initial vulnerability. Even his Mercedes stablemate George Russell has lost five places on lap one despite securing two poles, a sign that the issue is partly systemic. Engineers are still tuning launch maps, clutch bite points and energy deployment strategies to match the new powertrain behavior introduced this season. Those adjustments are complex, and a small mismatch between settings and on-track realities can turn pole into a scramble by the end of the first corner sequence.
Antonelli’s plan for the five-week hiatus
Rather than taking a traditional holiday, Antonelli is assembling a busy programme aimed squarely at sharpening launches and maintaining race rhythm. He has enlisted intensive work on the simulator — where he expects to receive his steering wheel with race-specific settings — to practice procedure, reaction timing and clutch control scenarios. He also plans a mix of short physical training, karting sessions to stay instinctive on throttle and a potential GT day to keep seat time varied. The aim is to translate repetitive simulator drills into consistent real-world execution once the championship resumes.
On-track testing and continued seat time
Complementing the simulator schedule, Antonelli will participate in a GP2 test and a manufacturer-linked tyre trial: a Pirelli test at the Nurburgring on 14-15 April. That outing, conducted alongside Mercedes customer McLaren, will provide live validation of launch settings, clutch feel and tyre behavior under different start conditions. He also mentioned possible additional running in go-karts and the chance of a GT day, while confirming the break will still be focused on on-track work and physical preparation rather than rest.
Championship implications and next steps
Fixing starts is more than a comfort issue: it directly affects race control and championship momentum. The fact Antonelli has still turned pole positions into victories highlights the W17’s superiority, but cleaner first laps would reduce the reliance on recovery opportunities such as safety cars. With rivals able to capitalise on any slip at the opening phase, converting raw pace into flawless execution on the first lap could make his title bid more resilient. The break gives him the structured time to do that, and the combined simulator and on-track programme is designed to deliver measurable improvement when the season resumes in Miami.