Kimi Antonelli makes frank admission before Monaco GP – 'I need to learn'

Mercedes' rising star has candidly opened up about feeling the intense pressure from the fans at the a stone's throw away from his birthplace in Bologna. The newcomer found himself amidst a whirlwind of attention in only his seventh outing in the sport.

Speaking humbly, who was brought in to replace the departed admitted he's still got to master the art of with personal space, especially as the fervent crowd may have contributed to his less-than-stellar performance and early exit from the race.

Antonelli's car was retired in Italy thanks to a throttle issue, and now, the Silver Arrows have all but thrown their chance of signincant points out the window with an abysmal starting grid spot of P14 for and P15 for the youngster who has shed some light on the lessons he is learning in F1.

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"I need to learn sometimes to say 'no' and take a bit more time for myself," confessed the 18-year-old as he contemplated how last weekend unfolded.

"I absolutely love the support of the fans. I just think on my side, I didn't manage the energy that well, and that compromised definitely the performance on track.

"I could feel it. I was not as relaxed. I was a bit more tense while driving. So, ahead of the next home race [the Italian GP in September], it was a really good lesson."

Antonelli had a tough time in Italy, starting 13th on the grid after a sub-par qualifying session and eventually retiring after struggling with overheating tyres.

In contrast, his teammate George Russell had a stronger qualifying session, securing P3, but also faced overheating issues during the race, reports

As a result, Russell was overtaken by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Hamilton, as well as Lando Norris and Alex Albon, ultimately finishing a lowly P7.

Despite the challenges in Imola and now Monaco, spokesperson Bradley Lord remains optimistic, believing that the team will learn from their experience and adapt for future races, including the summer visit to Monza.

"For all of us, and for Kimi, the highest priority first and foremost is performance," Lord told Autosport. "We knew this would be a big weekend, and there's been a lot of attention. I think within the team, we've seen him as focused as ever and concentrated.

"But, obviously, experiencing all of this for the first time, all the things you can control but also all the things you can't control, is a new phenomenon.

"We've got to view it as a learning experience, understand what were the moments that lifted him and gave him energy, and which bits potentially felt like overload.

"And then we'll adapt for both busy race weekends and particularly for the next home race in Italy in September as we go forward," concluded Lord.