Recent observations have focused on Andrea Kimi Antonelli during his inaugural Formula 1 year, yet his performance at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix this past weekend stood out, as he began and concluded the race in fourth place.
The young racer from Italy distinguished himself by escaping a situation where cars were closely following each other due to the Drag Reduction System (DRS). He cleverly outmaneuvered Liam Lawson to secure fourth position following their respective pit stops. Subsequently, he pursued Carlos Sainz as the race neared its end, although he encountered significant aerodynamic disturbance from the Williams car ahead.
For the moment, this appears to have slowed down Antonelli’s struggles from recent competitions. A series of retirements, largely caused by mechanical issues, and difficult qualifying rounds had previously made it challenging for Antonelli to establish any consistent rhythm. This led Toto Wolff, the CEO of Mercedes, to describe Antonelli’s performance at Monza as “underwhelming”.
Mercedes has been working to guide Antonelli through this challenging phase, although complications with the simulator hampered his preparation for the Zandvoort event following the summer hiatus. Since then, these issues have been resolved, enabling Antonelli to dedicate several days to virtual practice at Mercedes headquarters to regain his bearings.
Andrew Shovlin, the trackside engineering director, shared details about the strategies Mercedes implemented to ensure they provided adequate support to their promising young driver.
“Concerning Zandvoort, he participated in a simulator session where we encountered some problems that prevented him from properly preparing,” Shovlin explained during the Baku weekend. “Subsequently, he made an error in FP1 – although, I think we share some responsibility because we couldn’t provide the usual preparation.”
“He spent time with us [prior to the Azerbaijan GP] and engaged in an extensive day of practice, completing the equivalent of two or three race distances in mileage to prepare for this event.”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Photo by: Clive Rose / Getty Images
“He has demonstrated enough potential in the initial part of the season to validate our belief that he possesses the talent required to compete in F1 and be associated with Mercedes.”
“However, there is no denying that mounting pressure follows a series of less-than-stellar performances and a points accumulation rate lower than George’s. Our role is to assist him in managing this pressure.”
“We’ve engaged Kimi in extensive development driving. It can be challenging to foresee potential issues, whether they arise during race starts, a qualifying error that increases pressure, or the loss of a practice session due to track excursions. Predicting these challenges is difficult.”
“Our support is ongoing, and we’ve recently intensified our preparatory efforts. We are exploring various methods to prepare for race weekends as we approach the remaining races, and we will continue to assess and refine our approach until we achieve the desired outcome.”
Shovlin also touched upon Mercedes’ decision to revert to their earlier rear suspension setup and its subsequent impact on Antonelli’s driving. He clarified that the suspension initially introduced at Imola, designed as Mercedes’ answer to the ‘anti-lift’ trend, presented considerable challenges for both drivers to effectively handle.
Mercedes deemed the initial race with the suspension at Imola inconclusive and opted to revert to the previous specification for the Monaco and Spain events before reintroducing it in Montreal. The team achieved a 1-3 finish, which somewhat overshadowed the problems that would later surface.
“We are confident that [the updated rear suspension] was making the car more difficult to maneuver,” Shovlin added. “While it improved performance on specific circuits like Montreal, it created more issues than it resolved at tracks such as Austria and Silverstone.”
George Russell, Mercedes, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images via Getty Images
“Therefore, this adjustment should benefit both drivers significantly. It certainly caused some disorientation for Kimi, which is particularly challenging for a young driver.”
“However, to summarize, if we evaluate the initial races, he secured almost all of his points during that early phase of the season.”
“And his performance frequently exceeded our expectations. When integrating a driver into F1 this rapidly, occasional setbacks are to be expected. Throughout the European season, he encountered greater difficulties in achieving favorable qualifying positions.”
“Despite this, it’s important to consider his initial performances; his successes were not isolated incidents. He delivered notable qualifying rounds, exceptionally strong race performances, and adeptly managed a wet race in Melbourne, culminating in a fourth-place finish.”
“Our focus remains on collaborating with him to restore the level of comfort he previously experienced with the car.”
Additional contributions by Oleg Karpov and Ronald Vording
