Future Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli says he leaned a worthwhile lesson — albeit in a troublesome method — when he crashed throughout observe on the Italian Grand Prix.
Antonelli was making his debut in an FP1 session at Monza, earlier than being introduced as a Mercedes driver in 2025 the next day. His first lap put him on the high of the timing screens however as he was pushing to regain that spot on his second timed effort, he crashed closely at Parabolica and his monitor time was over after simply 10 minutes.
“Undoubtedly I discovered a lesson, sadly in a troublesome means,” Antonelli stated. “I discovered that I can’t go flat out in search of the restrict immediately.
“Wanting again, the monitor was very slippery, the grip was fairly a bit decrease than anticipated. So sure, I used to be pushing too arduous, for positive. For the following few occasions, I’ll simply attempt to construct the run extra progressively as an alternative of simply looking for the restrict.”
Throughout the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend the place he gained a Formulation 2 function race for the primary time, Antonelli admitted, “I don’t know if I might be prepared, to be trustworthy, as a result of I nonetheless am studying quite a bit in F2.” Nevertheless, after being confirmed as an F1 driver simply over a month later, he says Mercedes has been working with him in latest equipment as a part of its Testing of Earlier Vehicles (TPC) program to assist him put together.
“Effectively between that time frame, I’ve been doing a little TPCs, and I’ve seen some main enhancements,” he stated. “I’ve been feeling significantly better within the automobile. One in every of my weakest factors, I might say, is the long term, and in the previous couple of TPCs, I’ve been enhancing that quite a bit.
“As a result of I used to be feeling significantly better with the automobile, additionally with all of the procedures, it made me change my thoughts [about his readiness]. After all I nonetheless have a lot to study, studying methods to cope with a full race weekend, and I feel [Monza] was the proof! Studying about managing all of the procedures, not solely on the steering wheel but additionally begins. So, nonetheless a lot to study, however each time I acquired within the automobile, I really feel so significantly better.”
Staff principal Toto Wolff says Antonelli’s capability to be so quick from the primary lap in a automobile is one thing that marks him out as a particular expertise, however he additionally believes a troublesome state of affairs like his rookie confronted at Monza is required to make sure he learns rapidly.
“I feel one of many key components of the actually greatest ones is to hit the bottom up and operating, and go straight, quick,” Wolff stated. “We talked in regards to the F3 take a look at in Silverstone within the rain with some F2 drivers, the place on his first flying lap, he was 4 seconds faster than the remaining. And that bit him [in Monza].
“That’s going to be a worthwhile lesson, as a result of it’s not about having enjoyable in an F3 automobile in Silverstone within the rain — that is Formulation 1. There may be lots of accountability that comes with it, for the very best automobile model on the planet, for a lot of hundreds of individuals. And that’s why Kimi discovered in a really, very arduous means.
“I feel that second will need to have been very robust and compromised George [Russell] for his day and his weekend, and Kimi is aware of that. However generally, it must sting — then it sticks.”
