Kimi Antonelli on Jeddah race: “I hit the wall twice, it was terrifying—but I learned a lot”. Andrea Kimi Antonelli reflects on a learning-filled Saudi GP.

Kimi Antonelli 6th in the Saudi Arabian GP
Andrea Kimi Antonelli can smile after a respectable sixth-place finish on Sunday in Jeddah. Even if Mercedes’ performance in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was perhaps below expectations—considering George Russell finished fifth—the Italian, who also struggled physically during the weekend due to the humid heat of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, returns to Bologna with a good deal of experience under his belt. Especially worth highlighting is the final phase of the race, where the 18-year-old managed to keep (a not particularly threatening) Lewis Hamilton at bay in the Ferrari, showing good tyre management on the Hard compound after struggling in the first stint on the Mediums.

Kimi’s comments after the Jeddah race
“I think in the final part of the GP,” Kimi Antonelli told Sky UK after the race, “my pace was quite good. The last 10-15 laps were pretty positive, while in the first stint I need to review what happened because I had balance issues and the front tyres dropped off very quickly and too early. That’s why I had to pit earlier than everyone else, and from there I had to manage the first half of the Hard stint much more. I struggled, but in the final 10-15 laps I was able to push again. It was nice to see that the pace was there, and now I have a week off and some time to process all the information to come back stronger starting in Miami.”

Between walls and tyre management
The learning process, in short, continues at full speed. With a bit of luck too, having brushed the barriers twice without any technical consequences or damage to his Mercedes: “Fortunately, nothing serious happened. I grazed the wall twice, the second time at Turn 4. It was really scary because I then started having some vibrations, which wasn’t pleasant. But I’m happy the car held up. It was a good test physically, mentally, and also a great learning experience, because the three circuits we raced on were all completely different. It was good to have this kind of experience, and there’s probably still some work to do, especially on tracks with higher degradation.”

“But it was a good way to learn after Bahrain, and I’m happy with how I managed the tyres in the second stint. I learned a lot and now I’m looking forward to a bit of rest, with time to gather all the data and think things through before getting back on track. My final exams? Yes, but they’re later in the year, around July. So I think this week the priority will be recovering my energy,” Andrea Kimi Antonelli concluded at the end of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.