After a difficult run over the last few races for Kimi Antonelli, it seems that Mercedes is confident about his performance going forward.
Antonelli has admitted that the European stretch of the calendar has been a challenge for him, and difficulties with the car have impacted his results. Toto Wolff confirmed in Hungary that the team was returning to an older version of the car in order to instill some confidence in the young rookie, after upgrades in Imola derailed progress.
Andrew Shovlin believes things are looking up for Kimi Antonelli
Track-side Engineering Director, Andrew ‘Shov’ Shovlin, has weighed in on Antonelli’s season so far, and believes the Italian driver will be able to turn his string of poor performances around in the second half of the season.
Speaking in a debrief for fans, Shovlin said: “It’s very difficult with the field as tight as it is to be able to make progress, and he was one of the few drivers that was able to make a lot of forward progress [in Hungary].
“You could see that his confidence in the car was growing; it’s making a lot more sense to him.”
Antonelli managed to finish in the points at the Hungarian Grand Prix, despite qualifying in fifteenth. The Hungaroring, nicknamed ‘Monaco without walls’, is known for its mixture of high and low speed corners and twisty sectors, which make it notorious for being difficult to overtake. Fighting through the field, Antonelli picked up a point, finishing the race in tenth.
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The Hungarian Grand Prix was a promising weekend for Mercedes, with George Russell claiming third place after a tense battle with Charles Leclerc for the final spot on the podium, and Antonelli reaching the points after a disappointing run in recent races.
Commenting on his season so far in a press conference during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, Antonelli said: “It has been challenging, I have had some highs but quite a few lows. The European season hasn’t gone very well, I think it has gone pretty badly.
“Also, on my side, Qualifying has been weak, but I need to put it all together. Now, in the second half of the season, it is important to do the step and find some consistency.”
🛠️| Speaking to reporters after the Hungarian GP, Toto Wolff admitted the Imola upgrades hadn’t worked:
“Well, that rear axle will be ending up in a bin somewhere, I guess.
“Upgrades are here to bring performance, and there’s a lot of simulations and analysis that goes into…
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) August 7, 2025
It seems that the Brackley-based team are hopeful of a stronger second half of the season, after rumours that Wolff was in talks with the team over poor progress. The Team Principle hinted in Hungary that Russell and Antonelli would be returning with Mercedes in 2026, however there is yet to be any confirmation.
Will Antonelli be returning alongside Russell in 2026?
