Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes’ 2025 rookie, had an exceptional season, with a single major setback that cost him zero points in six races: from Emilia Romagna to Belgium, with the exception of an impressive third place in Canada.
The main difficulties for the 19-year-old came during the European rounds. Reflecting on his results at the end of the season, Mercedes introduced updates to the rear suspension at Imola, attempting to address various issues with the car.
However, this update had the opposite effect, creating a rear-end instability. While George Russell managed to cope and continued delivering positive results thanks to his years of experience in the category, Kimi Antonelli struggled considerably.
“Two or three months lost”
Once the suspension changes were reverted, the Italian regained confidence and brought the car back into the points. Still, Kimi admitted: “I think I lost two or three months of progress. Obviously, I had more difficulties with the rear compared to George. I struggled to adapt, mainly because I couldn’t express my driving style.”
“It was a difficult period because I kept losing confidence, driving very tense and struggling to make progress,” he explained. “Obviously, if I had adapted better or returned to the previous suspension setup sooner, things would probably have been a bit different, and I could have built momentum already by the end of the European season or midway through it.”
The driver ended the year with 150 points, an incredible result that, without the suspension issues, he likely would have surpassed. Nevertheless, it is the team’s responsibility to introduce updates and explore new solutions for improvement, which sometimes results in unintended setbacks or a car that doesn’t suit the driver’s style.
Mercedes continues to support the 19-year-old, who will surely achieve great milestones as he gains experience. The team’s chief engineer, Andrew Shovlin, stated: “The positive thing about Kimi is that once he learns something, it sticks with him. He doesn’t repeat the same mistakes. Overall, with him, we are really on the right track.”
Kimi Antonelli has proven that he possesses the resilience to match his raw speed. Transitioning from a tense mid-season slump to a confident, point-scoring finish shows a level of maturity that bodes well for Mercedes’ future. With the technical lessons of 2025 firmly under his belt, the young Italian is no longer just a “rookie” to watch—he is a established contender ready to lead the Silver Arrows into a new era.
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