A bittersweet weekend for Mercedes. On one hand, George Russell secured another podium finish of the season; on the other, Andrea Kimi Antonelli ended in eleventh place, missing out on points for the first time since his Formula 1 debut. The error that led to a double penalty for both drivers—the positioning in the fast lane before the session resumed—highlighted a lapse in judgment that a Mercedes from a few years ago would hardly have made.
Was the strategy adopted for Antonelli the right one? The Italian driver himself expressed doubts, pointing to some questionable decisions. Starting from fifth, Kimi Antonelli was the only one to make three pit stops during the race. The decision to stop a second time on lap 25 to switch to Soft tyres was followed, just five laps later, by a third stop in response to the Safety Car.
Kimi challenged this choice from the start. When race engineer Peter Bonnington told him to box, the driver asked for confirmation: “Are you sure?”, receiving a firm “Affirmative” in response. Upon exiting the pits for the third time, now down in eighth place, Antonelli reiterated his concerns: “I don’t think that was the right thing. Now they’re all ahead of me.”
Right after the restart, the Italian driver battled Carlos Sainz at Turn 11 but was forced onto a wider line. He later overtook both Williams drivers and Jack Doohan, finishing the race just one point behind Oliver Bearman.
Reflecting on the strategy, Kimi Antonelli admitted:
“It’s a bit confusing because the first time was fine, I expected it. But then, with the Softs after the Mediums, we did two laps and then the Safety Car came out. I thought we would stay out. With the Safety Car the tyre would have cooled, and with clean air it would’ve been a different story.”
Kimi also acknowledged some responsibility in tyre management: “I need to review it with the team. I think I could have chosen better how to push after the pit stop, to save the tyres a bit more.”
After a strong start to the season, with solid performances and valuable points, the rookie driver faced a more complex weekend in Bahrain. However, this experience offers useful insights to improve team coordination and strategic execution. With a long season still ahead, he’ll surely have opportunities to bounce back, and his critical attitude already shows an uncommon maturity.
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