Antonelli ‘Massively Fed Up’ in Mercedes Admission

Mercedes has taken the blame for Kimi Antonelli’s recent slide in form during his debut Formula 1 season, with team insiders pointing to car tweaks that have hit the young Italian harder than his teammate George Russell.

Trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin explained that updates to the W16 chassis over the past few races have made the car trickier to handle, disrupting the balance that suited Antonelli earlier in 2025. “We’ve shifted things around, and it’s showing up more in Kimi’s results because he’s still learning the ropes,” Shovlin said after the Belgian Grand Prix. “George has the experience to adapt quicker, but we’re working flat out to get back to a setup that clicks for both.”

Antonelli, who turned heads with a podium in Canada – his best finish so far – has struggled since, racking up four DNFs and a string of pointless races in the last seven outings. The 18-year-old, signed straight from Formula 2 to replace Lewis Hamilton, sits well behind Russell in the standings, with qualifying gaps often stretching to several tenths.

Sources close to the team say Antonelli is frustrated but focused, channeling his energy into simulator sessions to help refine the car. Mercedes technical director James Allison admitted the development path went off track, adding: “We’ve owned this – it’s on us to fix it and give Kimi the tools he needs.”

With Antonelli locked in until at least the end of the year, the Silver Arrows are pushing for improvements before the summer break ends, aiming to salvage points in the remaining races. Russell, meanwhile, urged patience, noting the team’s preference for cooler tracks like Spa hasn’t translated into results lately.