After Lewis Hamilton shocked the F1 paddock and announced he was leaving Mercedes to join Ferrari, the Silver Arrows named Kimi Antonelli as his replacement. At 18 years old, Antonelli would be the second youngest rookie ever to join the grid, and the pressure is starting to show.
Antonelli made a good start to his F1 career, with a fourth-placed finish in treacherous conditions in Australia. However, the Italian is on a poor run of form that he can’t seem to shake. Coming into the Belgian GP, Kimi was looking to bounce back after F1 took a break. However, it got worse.
Kimi Antonelli is struggling for form and confidence
Kimi Antonelli was hoping a reset after F1 took a break following the British GP would help him. However, in Spa, Kimi excelled in both qualifying sessions at the first hurdle. He made little impact in the sprint as he tried to make progress. Following his second Q1 exit of the weekend, Antonelli has admitted that he is struggling with the car and with a lack of confidence.
Speaking to the media following a difficult session, Antonelli admitted: “Since the European season, I’ve been struggling to find confidence with the car and I feel like I’ve done a backward step.
Kimi Antonelli Admits His Season Has ‘Gone Pretty Badly’ as He Eyes Crucial Mid-Year Reset
“It’s a difficult moment for me because I feel like I have no confidence on pushing. Yesterday I tried to push a bit too much and then I spun, and then it kind of hurts the confidence even more.
“With the way I’m driving, I’m just increasing the problem. And that gives me even less confidence with the car.
With the way I drive, I’m a bit more aggressive with the inputs compared to George. And with the limitation I have I’m just increasing the problem. So on my side, I’m trying to change a little bit the way I’m driving to also have the balance.”, said Antonelli, looking visibly upset.
Antonelli is yet to score a point in any European race this season. His dip in form has hit an alarming rate, but it is expected. He is only 18 years old and is learning the trade. Mistakes are going to happen. Earlier this week, Toto Wolff gave his full backing to the Italian, saying he wants to move forward with Antonelli and Russell next season.
Was it too early for Kimi Antonelli to drive for Mercedes?
At just 18 years old, Kimi Antonelli is the second youngest driver to enter an F1 race. Is this a mistake by Mercedes, throwing such an inexperienced driver into Lewis Hamilton’s old seat? Early on, Kimi looked fast. He scored an impressive fourth place in Australia in wet conditions. He would go on to score points in four of the next five races, even taking a sprint pole in Miami.
However, once F1 returned to Europe, Kimi’s form disappeared. At Imola, the Italian qualified in P13, while he crashed out in qualifying for Monaco. He failed to score any points in the five European races so far, but not all his fault. In Imola and Barcelona, he had reliability issues. In Silverstone, he was hit from behind by Isack Hadjar. However, he was at fault for his DNF in Austria, locking up and hitting Max Verstappen.
Who Is Kimi Antonelli: Toto Wolff’s Latest Hire for Mercedes F1
Between the European races, he scored an impressive third place in Canada. But that result has been an anomaly in recent races. The pressure has got to the youngster, and cracks are starting to show.
When Max Verstappen joined F1 at 17 years old, he joined Toro Rosso to learn his trade with less pressure. George Russell, as a rookie, was sent to Williams to also learn. Putting Kimi in the works Mercedes team was a gamble by Wolff. He might have needed a year or two at a smaller team to get used to driving in F1. Antonelli needs time and will bounce back, but he needs help from those around him.
