Mercedes started the Mexican Grand Prix weekend on a strong note, especially thanks to Kimi Antonelli. After a rather quiet race in Texas, the team from Brackley looks ready to bounce back and compete for better positions in Mexico City. Several key factors could influence the weekend’s outcome, and the German team seems well-prepared to handle them. For the leading contenders, it is shaping up to be an extremely close battle, where every tiny detail could make a big difference.
Shovlin shares his impressions after FP2
“The circuit named after the Rodríguez brothers always starts with very low grip during Friday practice, which explains why nine out of ten teams chose to run a young driver in the first session. For this reason, George also stayed in the garage, while Fred did a great job completing the program on his car,” explained Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes’ trackside engineering director.
There was also an interesting point about the rookie’s work back at the factory. The Danish driver plays an important role in Mercedes’ simulator development program, focusing on improving performance in hypothetical conditions. Therefore, a run on track was extremely valuable for him to gain real Formula 1 experience and then bring that knowledge back to Brackley to help with further W16 development.
George Russell, meanwhile, struggled to find comfort during FP2. Having skipped the first session, he had to adapt quickly to the dusty track without the benefit of earlier feedback. Nevertheless, during the long-run simulations with high fuel, his race pace looked strong. Kimi Antonelli, however, seemed even more at ease on the Mexican circuit, showing confidence and consistency throughout. Just like Ferrari, Mercedes will need to carefully follow the track evolution throughout the weekend to extract the best performance.
Antonelli eager to give his best
Kimi Antonelli described his Friday in Mexico very positively, saying he felt comfortable in the car right from the start. He explained that FP2 was slightly more complicated than the morning session due to an early issue that partially disrupted the planned program. During the second session, the Italian driver had to adapt to a modified setup, which made it harder for him to attack the curbs compared to FP1.
Despite those small setbacks, Kimi Antonelli highlighted a productive day overall. The team managed to complete most of its planned work and collect valuable data. He particularly emphasized the long-run performance, which was one of his main focuses during the first session. The Bologna-born driver also noted that grip levels were quite low throughout the day, both in the morning and the afternoon, making it essential to find the right compromise for optimal performance.
In conclusion, Kimi Antonelli stated that Friday provided plenty of useful information, and the team’s priority would now be to analyze the data carefully and prepare for an extremely tight qualifying session after FP3. His confidence suggests Mercedes could be well positioned to fight for strong grid spots on Saturday.
George Russell focused on delivering his best
George Russell is expected to play a key role in Saturday’s qualifying battle. The British driver mentioned that during FP1, he had a rare opportunity to watch the cars from the grandstands—a different experience for someone usually behind the wheel. He took the chance to observe Vesti driving his car and said he appreciated both the outside perspective and the solid work done by his teammate.
George Russell praised Fred’s precise execution of the team’s program, which gave Mercedes a strong foundation for FP2 thanks to a rich collection of data. Once back in the cockpit for the second session, he noticed how incredibly close the competitive order was. The short lap at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez means that time gaps between cars are minimal, leaving no margin for error.
George Russell’s single-lap pace was particularly encouraging, with the Mercedes W16 showing good potential. He stressed how qualifying would be crucial to securing a solid result in Sunday’s race. Both the team and the driver are now fully focused on fine-tuning the setup and keeping up with the track’s evolution, anticipating a fierce fight among the top teams during qualifying.
Leave a Reply