At the Hungarian Grand Prix, Kimi Antonelli showed a positive mood at the end of the Friday sessions, after his team decided to revert to an older suspension setup, as well as changes in car balance and overall chassis settings. This step backward was taken in order to make forward progress toward the driving feeling that the young Mercedes driver had recently lost.
Finally, Andrea Kimi Antonelli appeared satisfied as he stepped out of his Mercedes race car at the conclusion of the first day of work in Hungary.
At the race event held on the Hungaroring circuit, the Mercedes team brought back the older suspension solution, the one that the talented driver from Bologna had greatly appreciated during the first part of the Formula 1 season. This older setup had proven much more effective compared to the newer suspension version that had been introduced at the Imola Grand Prix, where Antonelli faced significant difficulties adapting.
Although in the second free practice session Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s lap time placed him within the Top 10 but approximately eight tenths of a second behind the leader Lando Norris, there are more important factors to focus on beyond just lap times. The Stuttgart-based driver expressed satisfaction with the work carried out throughout the Friday sessions to regain the right driving sensations and to be able to perform at his best, especially after recent race weekends where his confidence was undermined by a noticeably more nervous and difficult-to-handle car.
“It was a fairly positive day, and I must say that with the old suspension setup I felt better. We are working hard because we had to rebalance the car around this part of the setup, and it represented a significant change,” commented Andrea Kimi Antonelli at the end of the day’s activities.
“Tomorrow we will continue down this path, but the positive thing is that I have regained confidence in the car. We are still missing a little something to be with the group of drivers at the front, but I believe we are working in the right direction.”
What the young Italian driver from Emilia-Romagna found most encouraging today was the consistency of his performance, both when pushing for a fast lap time and during race simulation runs. This consistency gives reason to hope for a positive continuation of the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, where the key focus will first be on perfecting Saturday’s qualifying session.
However, the good feelings experienced on Friday serve as an encouraging sign because they confirm a better connection with the car. Certainly, the Hungaroring circuit does not feature very high-speed corners, which in recent races had posed a challenge to Antonelli due to the overly nervous rear end of the Mercedes W16 car. Additionally, the teams run with high downforce wings here, which helps build more confidence with the rear of the car. Nevertheless, it is clear that progress must be made step by step to fully regain the optimal setup and driving rhythm.
“The long run during Free Practice 2 went well. I encountered a bit of traffic in the last sector when I put on the soft tires, so the lap wasn’t ideal, but the overall feeling is positive looking ahead to tomorrow,” Antonelli added.
“The important thing will be to qualify well, considering that starting position is very important here, so maximum concentration will be focused on that.”
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