Antonelli recharges after the summer break
The young Bolognese driver enjoyed the summer break: Kimi Antonelli went on holiday after returning to the points with the Mercedes W16. The Italian regained his feeling with the car after giving up the new rear suspension, which forced him to change his driving style and led to more mistakes than expected.
Kimi Antonelli had made a point of switching off completely. The plan was followed, first stopping on the island of Santorini, then a visit to Sardinia, but… “after a while I started getting restless and ended up karting,” he admitted.
The last week before heading to Zandvoort was dedicated to training and regaining weight. “It’s normal to lose a few kilos during the season because the schedule is so tight that a consistent training program isn’t possible. Also, after a race, you lose at least two kilos, and you don’t always manage to recover before the next event.”
Restarting from Budapest
Antonelli restarted from Budapest, a weekend in which, despite the final result, he regained his feeling with the car. “I would have liked to return to the track the following week; it wouldn’t have been a problem to give up some of my holidays.” The decision by Mercedes’ management after the difficult Spa Grand Prix – to abandon the new rear suspension and revert to the previous version – gave the expected results in terms of feeling, precisely what Kimi had missed after the Montreal weekend.
“The car will remain the same until the end of the year, I don’t think we’ll bring other updates; there will only be minor changes. For me, this is positive news because it will help rebuild the confidence and comfort I had somewhat lost since the new suspension was introduced.”
Lessons from the first half of the season
“During the summer break I analyzed what we did in the first part of the season, and it’s clear that in the first six races I was able to achieve good confidence with the car, to understand its behavior. Then, when we switched to the new suspension, I started taking steps back.”
There is also the Canada puzzle, a race in which Mercedes won with George Russell and Antonelli claimed his first F1 podium – with the new suspension. “It suited the Montreal track perfectly. On that circuit, all braking points are straight, followed by slow corners and acceleration zones. In that sequence, the new suspension worked very well, which is why we went so fast.”
“But on all the other circuits we visited, it was a problem, especially for my driving style. The car became more unpredictable in fast corners, and I always push the car a lot, demanding a lot from it – two characteristics that don’t combine well with the new suspension because they triggered instability. So I ended up chasing a driving style that wasn’t mine, resulting in not achieving the performance I wanted.”
Moving forward
The problem is now behind him, but Antonelli has learned from the challenging situation. “I’m aware that a similar situation could arise in the future, and it’s clear that you need to adapt as best and as quickly as possible. In the last few race weekends, I struggled a lot, practically unable to adapt and find a way to drive, as Russell did. Then, from Budapest, the situation improved and I regained the right confidence.”
In the ten race weekends ahead, Antonelli’s goal is clear. “I definitely want to regain consistency in results and put everything together in the best way possible throughout the weekend. In Budapest, the weekend started well with three solid practice sessions and a good Q1, then things happened as they did. It’s up to me to put everything together, trying to make as few mistakes as possible and also set a strong lap when it’s crucial. I know the potential is there and it’s high; in the end, if I manage all this, the results will follow.”
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