Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli reveals his biggest weakness and sets target to match George Russell. Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli acknowledges qualifying as his main challenge in the 2025 Formula 1 season.

The first half of the Formula 1 season for Andrea Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes has been a mix of highs and lows. The young Italian rookie has shown flashes of impressive speed and racecraft, proving on several occasions that he can compete on equal terms with his teammate George Russell. However, in the final races before the summer break, Antonelli often found himself starting from the back of the grid, struggling to deliver strong qualifying performances. In a recent interview with Auto Motor und Sport, he openly discussed the main weakness that is preventing him from fully unlocking his potential.

Antonelli has made it clear that he is aiming high and knows exactly what goals he wants to achieve before the season ends.

The obstacle to overcome
So far, over the first 14 races of his rookie campaign, qualifying has been the real weak point for Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Explaining the issue, he said: “I still have difficulties understanding exactly how much the car can give in a qualifying lap. You are so close to the limit that it is easy to go a bit over it. I am still trying to find that fine line.”

Antonelli went on to explain the challenge in detail: “In qualifying, the grip level is high. You go into corners much faster than in the race. And every lap you think, ‘I can take that corner even faster.’ I am not yet fully ready to be at the absolute limit on the very first lap.” He added: “I am getting closer to the limit. The problem is that qualifying does not give you many opportunities to work on it for long. On top of that, the limit keeps changing with the conditions. But I am working on it.”

Season target
George Russell currently sits fourth in the drivers’ standings and is enjoying one of his strongest seasons since joining Formula 1. Just as Lewis Hamilton’s main benchmark at Ferrari is his teammate, Antonelli’s main point of comparison is George Russell. Speaking about his ambitions, the rookie admitted: “My goal has to be to drive at the same pace as Russell. I also believe it is possible. George is having an extremely strong season. He is proving that he is one of the very best. Especially when the car is working well, he shows exactly what he can do.” Antonelli concluded: “If I were at his level by the end of the year, it would be a reward.”