Mercedes: How track type shaped Kimi Antonelli’s first Formula 1 season. In his debut Formula 1 season, Kimi Antonelli has shown contrasting performances depending on the circuits.

Kimi Antonelli is in his debut F1 season and, unlike many of his fellow rookies, he enjoys a relatively competitive car. At the same time, however, Kimi has been “forced” to compare himself to a top driver like George Russell, making the comparison far more unforgiving than it is for other debutants.

Despite this, the Bolognese driver has shown in several races that he possesses the potential and the skill to put everything together when it matters. Other weekends, however, were marked by difficulties and a lack of rhythm, partly due to the W16 being more challenging to manage, especially during the summer races.

During this period, the F1 circus had just returned to Europe from the Canadian rounds. The combination of these two factors forced Kimi to fight for points on tracks he already knew from Formula Regional European and Formula 2 campaigns.

Europe vs. the rest of the world: Antonelli’s two-faced season

Looking at only the European races, Antonelli collected just 3 points, spread between Hungary (P10) and Monza (P9). In the other European rounds, he recorded four retirements, although he was responsible for only one incident, in Austria, when he collided with Max Verstappen at Turn 3 on the opening lap.

Examining the non-European races, Antonelli’s performance appears completely different. Before arriving in Imola, Kimi scored points in every race except Bahrain, driving with notable confidence. Highlights include a P4 on his debut in Australia and P6 finishes in China and Japan.

The Japanese Grand Prix weekend stands out in particular, where Antonelli set the fastest lap and led the race for 10 laps, becoming the youngest driver ever to achieve both feats. Before returning to Europe, he also secured a remarkable podium in Canada, finishing 3rd.

After the aforementioned European tour, Formula 1 left the Old Continent at the end of last month. On the first race outside Europe, Mercedes regained competitiveness thanks to a return to the previous rear suspension design.

At the same time, it’s important to note that the circuits Kimi and the other drivers faced immediately afterward were the city tracks of Baku and Singapore. These types of tracks leave almost no margin for error, making every moment on track crucial. Kimi Antonelli, however, was ready, delivering two much smoother weekends, finishing 4th in Azerbaijan and 5th in Singapore.