Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s scheduled test this morning at the Yas Marina circuit has been postponed to the afternoon due to the lingering effects of a severe flu that sidelined the Mercedes driver last weekend. His spot in the morning session was taken by team tester Frederic Vesti, who will wrap up his work by 1:00 PM local time (10:00 AM in Italy) to allow Antonelli to hit the track half an hour later.
It has been a challenging weekend for Antonelli. After completing the F2 qualifying session on Friday, Kimi was struck by a severe flu attack overnight, preventing him from participating in the rest of the weekend’s activities, with fever spikes exceeding 40 degrees Celsius. Mercedes closely monitored his recovery, and the medical staff decided not to push his limits given his less-than-ideal condition.
Mercedes’ planned testing program includes comparing data gathered during the race weekend, enabling Kimi Antonelli to use 2024 tires, while George Russell focuses on evaluating next season’s tire compounds.
Kimi Antonelli’s track commitments are not yet over, as he is expected to fly to Japan after the Yas Marina test (depending on his physical condition) for a planned session at the Suzuka circuit. This test is aimed at familiarizing him with the track, which will host the third round of the F1 calendar next year.
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