Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli has admitted team-mate George Russell still holds an advantage in qualifying, despite Antonelli leading the championship after the opening three rounds of the 2026 season.

Thanks to his victory at the Japanese Grand Prix, Antonelli heads the standings by nine points during the unexpected April break, after the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix were cancelled. The young Italian believes the introduction of new-generation cars helped level the playing field at the start of the season, but says he has also made clear progress against his more experienced team-mate.

“Yes, for sure it helps that everyone started from zero. For sure it still helps, you know. But definitely I’ve been closing the gap with him,” the Mercedes driver said, as quoted by GPBlog.com website.

Antonelli pointed to qualifying as the main area where Russell still has the upper hand.

“I still think he has the upper hand in qualifying, especially in Q3. He always manages to find that little bit extra, which is something I’m working on,” Antonelli said.

However, the Mercedes driver is encouraged by his pace on Sundays.

“But in terms of race pace, I think we have a really strong base. So yes, I feel he is obviously a super, super strong and very complete driver. He showed that many times last year, which is why it’s not going to be easy. That’s why I need to do everything as perfectly as possible,” the young driver explained.

The Italian also said he now feels far more comfortable in Formula 1 after the lessons learned during his rookie campaign.

“A big step. Experience means a lot. Obviously, last year I went through a lot, and it taught me far more than I anticipated. It is definitely helping me so far this year. Of course, there is still a lot of work to do, but I definitely feel much more in control of the situation,” Antonelli believes.

Antonelli added that he wants to make the most of Mercedes’ current opportunity at the front of the grid.

“Of course, the car helps, and I’m going to try to be ready for everything because it’s one of those opportunities that do not come every day. I’m obviously really grateful for the car the team has provided us so far, and I just need to keep my head down,” Antonelli concluded.