Kimi Antonelli’s debut Formula 1 campaign with Mercedes has shown flashes of promise, giving fans a glimpse of his potential as he steps out from the shadow of Lewis Hamilton.
He made an immediate impression at the Australian Grand Prix, climbing from 16th to fourth in difficult conditions that challenged even the most experienced drivers. While he wasn’t quite on George Russell’s level early on, Antonelli followed up with three more top-six finishes over the next four races.
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Antonelli’s best moment came at the Miami GP, where he secured a surprise Sprint pole position, making him the youngest driver ever to top a qualifying session. A few weeks later in Canada, he earned his first Grand Prix podium.
Mechanical issues had already put him behind some of the top drivers in the standings by that point. Then, mistakes started to creep into his game.
Kimi Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton both called the Mercedes ‘unpredictable’
Since that race, Antonelli has averaged a qualifying position of 15th, with the low point coming at Spa, where he started both the Sprint and the main event from the back row.
Antonelli went three races without scoring at all, though he did gain some solace just before the summer break as he came home P10 in Hungary. Speaking to Auto Motor und Sport, he explained why his results had dropped off.
The 18-year-old said he lost his connection with the W16 and pointed to similar problems that had troubled Mercedes drivers earlier in the ground-effect era. The main complaint was about how ‘unpredictable’ their cars felt – something Hamilton had described back at Miami as being an ongoing issue for several years (via RacingNews365).
“When turning on the brakes in fast corners, the rear end became unstable, and it was difficult to feel whether you were losing grip or not,” Antonelli said. “My aggressive driving style made this problem worse.
“The car became even more unpredictable. But I also have to take responsibility for this and should have adjusted my driving style better.”
Ralf Schumacher weighs in on Kimi Antonelli’s first half-season in F1
There are those who believe Mercedes should have followed the same path they did with George Russell, placing Antonelli at Williams. Their engine deal might have given them some say in the matter, though it’s unclear if James Vowles would have agreed.
But that may be missing the point. At the start of this season, Mercedes appeared to be moving forward, and questions about whether Antonelli was ready were few and far between.
Now, with old issues reappearing, he seems to have lost his way a bit. But as last season showed, that can happen to anyone – even the most successful driver in history.
Ralf Schumacher has stated that Antonelli isn’t ‘the next Max Verstappen’, despite some early comparisons. That may be true, but it appears Mercedes is willing to give him time, as suggested by reports of an upcoming contract extension.
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