Andrea Kimi Antonelli believes George Russell has gained important momentum after his victory in Baku as the Mercedes teammates prepare for the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang. The championship leader lost 15 points to George Russell in Azerbaijan after a significant qualifying mistake forced him to start from the back of the field, and he now expects his teammate to push hard to continue the comeback.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli described Baku as “the worst weekend of the season without any doubt”, but the Italian is already focused on responding in Malaysia. Rather than concentrating on the championship situation, he is approaching Sepang with the same mature mentality that has characterised his season so far, while Mercedes will also introduce a further upgraded version of the W17.
Kimi Antonelli prepares for his first Formula 1 weekend at Sepang
Asked about his expectations for the Bahrain Grand Prix, Andrea Kimi Antonelli made no secret of his enthusiasm. This will be his first experience of Sepang, meaning the opening sessions will inevitably involve a period of adaptation.
Among the drivers on the current grid, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz, Pierre Gasly, Sergio Pérez, Valtteri Bottas, Lance Stroll, Esteban Ocon and Nico Hülkenberg have previously raced in Formula 1 at the Malaysian circuit.
“I’m looking forward to [racing],” the 20-year-old said. “I’ve just done the track walk and it looks amazing. The surface is very open, very abrasive, so it will be very hard on the tyres, but apart from that, I’m looking forward to racing.”
“I think this track will be a great test for me because it has very long corners where it is crucial not to slow the car down too much. It is probably an area where I need to work quite a lot, but I’m looking forward to trying it. I’ve done some laps in the simulator and the feeling was good, but obviously we’ll see on track.”
Antonelli confident about major Mercedes W17 upgrade
The Bahrain Grand Prix is an important weekend not only for the two Mercedes drivers but also for the team itself. A significant upgrade package has been confirmed for the W17 and will make its debut at Sepang.
Although the Malaysian circuit is new territory for the current generation of cars, the weekend should provide Mercedes with valuable information about whether the developments can further strengthen its position in the Constructors’ Championship.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli is particularly interested in how the upgrade will change the balance of the car and where it could help him improve behind the wheel.
“We have some upgrades this weekend. It’s always nice – the more experience you gain, the more you appreciate upgrades because you immediately notice the difference and the details. The car with the upgrades looks really great. I’m looking forward to trying it and hopefully it will make us even faster.”
“Let’s see how the balance of the car changes with the new upgrade. I think there are many areas where I can improve in my driving. In theory, the upgrades should bring more grip and more downforce to the car, so from that point of view we hope to have more grip. That is the target.”
George Russell’s Baku win adds pressure inside Mercedes
Mercedes is expected to be one of the reference points in Malaysia, particularly on a Sepang layout that features two exceptionally long consecutive straights.
At the same time, the internal battle has intensified following George Russell’s Azerbaijan victory and Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s difficult weekend. The 15-point swing in Baku has given Russell renewed momentum at a stage of the season when Mercedes is also introducing further development to the W17.
Nothing has been decided yet, and Sepang will now provide Andrea Kimi Antonelli with both a new circuit to learn and an immediate opportunity to respond to the pressure created by his teammate’s Baku result.
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