It’s honest to say Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s first official System 1 weekend was one which will likely be remembered for years to come back – though not essentially for the suitable causes.
In a exceptional 24-hour interval, he had a blistering begin to observe, an early shunt that grabbed the headlines, after which was formally introduced as a Mercedes F1 driver for 2025.
Here’s what we discovered about him at Monza.
Antonelli now is aware of the distinction between FP1 and qualifying
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes F1 W15, crashes out in FP1
Picture by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Photos
Antonelli went from hero to zero within the first minutes of free observe at Monza – topping the instances briefly earlier than his large crash at Parabolica.
Whereas his early flashes of velocity throughout his first FP1 outing nonetheless left his Mercedes bosses speaking him up – labelling him too quick for his automobile/tyres quite than overdriving – it was clear that ending up within the boundaries in a observe session was not a great look.
Maybe the most important takeaway of all from Monza is that the younger Italian must mood his method higher sooner or later.
Throughout their press convention look on Saturday as his 2025 deal was made public, Antonelli himself and Mercedes boss Toto Wolff each admitted {that a} key understanding was in realizing when to push on race weekends – and when to go away a margin.
As Wolff mentioned: “You’ll be able to’t make someone fast. Then it is on us making an attempt to assist to situation Kimi that each lap does not must be like this.
“[Technical director] James Allison really mentioned, when he [Antonelli] launched himself on the primary lap yesterday, that first braking into the chicane, he had each tyres on the left within the grass already!
“So the distinction between free observe and qualifying, we have to focus on…”
Antonelli didn’t draw back from accepting that this method to FP1, in being flat out from the beginning, was improper.
“I discovered that I can’t go flat out in search of the restrict immediately, particularly wanting again,” he mentioned. “The observe was very slippery. The grip was fairly a bit decrease than anticipated. So yeah, simply I suppose I used to be pushing too onerous.”
He later added: “In fact, I nonetheless have a lot to be taught, studying take care of a full race weekend. And I believe yesterday [Friday] was the proof!”
Antonelli’s observe blunder has not dimmed Mercedes’ love for him
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, George Russell, Toto Wolff, Crew Principal and CEO, Mercedes-AMG F1 Crew
Picture by: Mercedes AMG
Whereas some paddock figures say they’d have been livid if a rookie had crashed a automobile like Antonelli in an FP1 session, Mercedes took a glass half-full method.
That’s why its focus was on the velocity he confirmed earlier than the off, allied to the broader philosophical view that the blunder will likely be one thing that will likely be taken on board and never be repeated.
As Wolff mentioned: “Kimi discovered in a really, very onerous approach. I believe that second should have been very powerful and compromised George [Russell] for his day, and his weekend, however generally it must sting, after which it sticks.”
Even future team-mate Russell mentioned that one of many takeaways of observing Antonelli is that there is no such thing as a doubt he’s blindingly fast.
“Once I look again to once I was 18 years outdated, there’s clearly a lot to be taught,” he mentioned. “However I believe as a driver, you’ve got the velocity or you do not have the velocity, and I am very assured Kimi has the velocity.
“I believe everyone on their journey goes to make errors and that is a part of life and a part of this sport.”
Mercedes is able to settle for extra errors
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes F1 W15
Picture by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Photos
Crashing a automobile like Antonelli did in Monza observe is the very very last thing a workforce desires from a Friday rookie.
Certainly, if it had been another teenager than Antonelli then the chances are they’d not be invited again.
However regardless of being open that it was a key lesson discovered, Mercedes isn’t shying away from the truth that it would most likely not be the final time that Antonelli goes to do one thing improper.
Nonetheless, that is all a part of the method that each rookie has to undergo – with the outdated adage being that if younger drivers don’t crash, they aren’t pushing onerous sufficient.
Antonelli’s errors will likely be high-profile, as a result of he’s racing for a workforce that must be combating on the entrance, however Wolff apparently urged that he had discovered a lesson in ready too lengthy to advertise Russell from Williams.
“With George he was perhaps too lengthy at Williams, however did a few of the errors at Williams the place they weren’t so seen,” he mentioned.
“Now we fast-tracked Kimi. The errors are going to be extra seen as a result of it is in a Mercedes, however we’re completely prepared for that funding.”
Antonelli and Russell are Mercedes’ future, regardless of contract uncertainty
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Crew
Picture by: Mercedes AMG
Mercedes made a deliberate effort to point out full concord inside the workforce at Monza as Russell was concerned each step of the best way within the Antonelli announcement.
He was quoted earlier than the Italian within the official announcement press launch, and sat alongside him and Wolff within the press conferences too.
Wolff didn’t maintain again in gushing about how he feels he now has in place the 2 drivers he desires to guide the squad over the long run.
“I really feel a lot pleasure sitting with these two right here,” he mentioned. “The uncommon species of racing drivers which are able to profitable 12 months after 12 months, championship after championship, does not exist fairly often.”
However regardless of the love-in for the drivers, studying between the strains of what Wolff says, there nonetheless stays a need to see how the chemistry performs out between them earlier than pondering future contracts past 2025.
“These two are the long run,” mentioned Wolff. “They’ve been and will likely be Mercedes drivers, and subsequently we now have contracts with George and Kimi that go for much longer, and which are very sophisticated when it comes to choices, and so on.
“However, like we have finished previously, we all the time had very brief contracts with every of the drivers, even with Lewis final time round. It was one-plus-one. And that is, in a approach, how the workforce operated.
“I believe most necessary is to see how George and Kimi settle in, and I see no cause at that stage of not giving them the religion and the belief of going ahead.
“What which means for the phrases is one thing that we are going to focus on between ourselves, however we would not have gone for the lineup with these two if we would not consider 100% that they’re the only option for Mercedes.”
Antonelli is humble off the observe however aggressive on it
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Picture by: Mercedes AMG
Antonelli’s ten minutes of operating in observe, allied to what we now have seen from him in System 2 this season, exhibits he isn’t afraid to take issues to the sting.
But when there was one factor he barely struggled with throughout his look on Saturday it was answering a query to explain himself – each his character and his driving fashion.
“Properly, about me?” he smiled. “I am a very empathic individual, and whereas on observe, I’ve a fairly an aggressive driving fashion…”
It was left to Wolff to step in, who mentioned that anyone who talks about themselves typically simply seems like an fool.
However he supplied his viewpoint on the form of character we will anticipate from the rookie.
“What to say about Kimi?” mentioned Wolff. “Good household background. His father is aware of all the pieces about racing that you have to know. Fantastic mom that has been supportive.
“I believe you may recognise a sample with the robust dads that perceive racing and provides the suitable help and the suitable stick, and the mom that’s making an attempt to be the great one within the relationship.
“Uncooked expertise he positively has, and a capability that you would be able to’t prepare. As I mentioned earlier than, it is simpler to make someone settle down when it comes to aggressiveness than the opposite approach round…”
