Prior to the Hungarian Grand Prix, Kimi Antonelli, who currently holds the distinction of being the youngest driver on the Formula 1 grid at just 18 years old, had managed to score points in only one of his previous seven races. Despite this, Mercedes celebrated a strong result in Canada where both of their drivers secured podium finishes, showcasing the promising potential of the young Italian driver.
However, in recent races, Kimi Antonelli had struggled with a series of errors and faced ongoing reliability concerns. These difficulties contributed to a widening gap between him and his more experienced teammate George Russell in the drivers’ championship standings.
Antonelli reportedly experienced a significant loss of confidence in his car during this challenging stretch, while George Russell used his wealth of experience to navigate the issues effectively.
Lewis Hamilton stepped in to offer guidance to Antonelli in an effort to help him regain his composure, and the Hungarian Grand Prix appeared to mark a pivotal moment in Antonelli’s season.
Although Antonelli was eliminated in the second qualifying session, he demonstrated resilience by recovering to finish in 10th place. This was a notable achievement at the Hungaroring, a circuit known for its difficulty in overtaking, making his progress especially commendable.
Tom Kristensen: Kimi Antonelli ‘extremely happy’ after Mercedes reversed car changes
Veteran racing driver and respected F1 pundit Tom Kristensen discussed Antonelli’s situation in an interview with F1 Nation. Kristensen revealed that the new rear suspension introduced by Mercedes at the Canadian Grand Prix initially gave the team some hope. However, for Antonelli, this upgrade had initially shattered his confidence.
Speaking about a conversation he had with Kimi Antonelli on the Friday evening before the Hungarian GP, Kristensen explained that the young driver was “extremely happy” after finding renewed trust in the car, which he could finally “play with” again.
Kristensen noted that the positive change was directly related to the rear suspension, although he wasn’t certain about the specific technical adjustments made. He pointed out that Mercedes had reverted to a previous setup after experimenting with upgrades, which is not uncommon in the middle of the season.
While this reversion did not suddenly make Mercedes a title contender again, Kristensen described the car as “on the edge” and “a bit of a diva.” Nevertheless, the rear suspension fix seemed particularly beneficial for Antonelli’s driving style.
Kristensen also compared Antonelli’s performance with that of George Russell, highlighting Russell’s consistent pace and skill, but acknowledging that even he doesn’t always have a flawless weekend. The “diva” nature of the Mercedes car, Kristensen suggested, remains a challenge for both drivers.
Mercedes abandon rear suspension update to the relief of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli
At the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Mercedes introduced a rear suspension upgrade aimed at helping their drivers close the gap to the dominant McLaren duo of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
The upgrade initially seemed successful, as demonstrated by the team’s strong results in Canada. However, after that race, the car became increasingly difficult to handle, puzzling the Mercedes engineering team.
Throughout the ground effect era, Mercedes has often struggled to fully understand the underlying causes of their car’s performance fluctuations. This lack of clarity extended to the issues affecting both Russell and Antonelli.
Antonelli’s dip in competitiveness has not helped Mercedes in their battle against Ferrari for the constructors’ championship.
Now that Mercedes has identified what went wrong with the suspension upgrade and given Kimi Antonelli a few weeks to recover and reset, there is renewed optimism. The team believes they still have a genuine opportunity to challenge Ferrari and secure the position as the best team behind McLaren in the standings.
Leave a Reply