F1 | Kimi Antonelli shines in Mexico prcatice but stays cautious after Mercedes setup struggles. Andrea Kimi Antonelli impressed in Mexico with third place in FP2.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli ended Friday practice in Mexico on a high note, setting the third fastest time in the second free practice session. Despite this strong performance, the young Italian preferred to remain cautious, aware that Mercedes still needs to make several changes to further improve the W16’s balance and behavior.

Mercedes has heavily invested in its 2025 Formula 1 season to prepare Andrea Kimi Antonelli for future battles among the top drivers, and the Bologna-born driver now seems to be heading firmly in the right direction. On his first day at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Kimi Antonelli finished second in Free Practice 1 and third in Free Practice 2. This latter result was particularly significant, as it came during a session where all regular drivers were on track, unlike FP1, which saw almost half the grid filled by rookies.

Kimi Antonelli acknowledged that it was a positive day overall, though not without difficulties. A minor issue early in FP2 disrupted his planned program, while the setup changes made between FP1 and FP2 reduced his confidence, particularly when attacking the kerbs with his Mercedes W16.

“It was a good day overall, and I felt comfortable in the car right from the start,” Kimi Antonelli said. “FP2 was a bit more difficult, and a small issue compromised the run plan. We made some setup changes, and after that, I struggled to ride the kerbs properly. We have a lot of work ahead of us tonight, but I think we started on the right foot.”

The Italian also explained that Mercedes had chosen a specific program for Friday: “We tried to stick to today’s plan. In FP1 we did only one lap on the Softs to focus more on the long runs. We gathered a lot of useful data, and now the focus turns to tomorrow.”

Another key aspect for both Kimi Antonelli and Mercedes will be the evolution of the track surface. The asphalt was particularly dirty today, which made grip levels quite low. Conditions are expected to improve on Saturday, especially during qualifying after the final practice session in the early Mexican afternoon.

“It will be important to follow the track’s evolution,” Kimi Antonelli added. “Grip was quite low this morning and didn’t improve much in FP2. We need to find the right compromise and improve in all areas, because qualifying will be very close.”