F1 | Kimi Antonelli’s difficult night in Abu Dhabi: “It’s a shame. We’ll come back stronger”. Andrea Kimi Antonelli reflects on a difficult Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli left the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with mixed emotions. The young Italian was happy for the team, yet disappointed by how his own race unfolded. Antonelli crossed the finish line in fifteenth place, but the result was softened by Mercedes securing second position in the Constructors’ Championship.

For the rookie, this achievement remains the most important outcome of the weekend. Still, Antonelli admitted it would have been satisfying to return to the points and finish the season with a strong result. In the previous races he had shown convincing form, and he is confident that in 2026 they will come back “even stronger”.

His first season in Formula 1 has now officially come to an end. All attention shifts to Tuesday’s post-season test before fully focusing on the new regulations that will come into force next year. This also closes an era for Mercedes, a period that delivered 140 victories, 150 pole positions and 387 podiums, along with ten Constructors’ Championships and eight Drivers’ titles. Even so, 2026 already looks promising for the Silver Arrows.

Antonelli’s words

“Tonight I struggled with the balance of the car and unfortunately I didn’t have the pace to get back into the points,” Antonelli said after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. “It was a tough evening and a tough race, and that’s a shame.”

“Up to this point we had put together a good run of Grands Prix, but sometimes racing is like this. We have some work to do during Tuesday’s test, and our focus is already on 2026,” the rookie explained.

“It has been a demanding season. This isn’t the way we wanted to finish the year, but the most important thing is that we secured second place in the Constructors’ Championship. Fortunately, we managed to do it. Over the winter we’ll look back at the season, understand where we could have done better and we’ll come back even stronger.”

“Congratulations also to Lando [Norris]. He deserves it, and congratulations to Max [Verstappen] and Oscar [Piastri] as well, who have also been exceptional this year. It has been a great battle all season long,” the Mercedes driver concluded.

For Antonelli and Mercedes, the Abu Dhabi disappointment stings tonight, but second in the constructors’ and a rookie who has already shown race-winning speed provide solid foundations. As the teenager heads into his first full winter development programme, the target is clear: turn promising flashes into consistent podium challenges when the lights go out in Melbourne next March.