Kimi Antonelli told by Mercedes chief where he needs to immediately improve after recent F1 setbacks

Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli has been one of the standout rookies on the Formula 1 grid this season.

Securing pole position for the Sprint Race at the Miami Grand Prix and making up 12 positions on his F1 debut in Australia are two highlights Kimi Antonelli is unlikely to forget in a hurry.

However, both of these achievements need some additional context.

The Mercedes youngster was able to make up so many places in Melbourne after making a mistake in qualifying. Antonelli damaged the floor of his car as a result and he was eliminated in Q1.

His pole position lap in Miami deserves a huge amount of credit but he failed to perfect his start off the grid and in attempting to make up for his error, he was shuffled down the pack as a result.

The 18-year-old scored points in five of his first races, but a retirement from his home race at Imola was followed up by a disastrous weekend in Monaco.

George Russell is trying to help Antonelli adapt, but Mercedes deputy technical director Simone Resta has pinpointed exactly where the teenager needs to improve if he’s going to secure better results for the Silver Arrows this season.

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Kimi Antonelli told to work on his tyre management after solid start to his Mercedes F1 career

Resta was asked about Antonelli’s start to 2025 on the Beyond The Grid Podcast and explained: “He’s been doing a very nice job.

“If you consider his race in Australia, for example, he started from the back of the grid because of an issue on the floor that we have had during quali, starting, I think, P16 in Australia.

“In the wet, on a track that is quite difficult, even on the dry, but on the wet is even more difficult in very difficult conditions.

“You have seen champions on the track having issues and just one little error at some point, and then all the rest is a very clean race.

“He’s been able to have very nice manoeuvres, very good overtakes. What would you ask for?

“I’m not sure if I would say very brave. I think he’s got the raw talent, the raw speed to do that and he’s quite calm as well.

“I mean, of course, he knows that he needs to keep improving and he is on a very quick learning slope for developing himself.

“He’s still learning how to extract the maximum from the tyres in quali. So I’m sure more is to come from him. He just needs to give the time to develop himself.”

Resta’s advice comes immediately after Antonelli’s mistake in qualifying in Monaco where he was forced to push on his final Q1 lap because he wasn’t safe from elimination.

If he had got the tyres into the right zone on his opening run, he may not have needed to take the same risks that ultimately ruined his race weekend.

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Kimi Antonelli yet to secure his place on the 2026 Formula 1 grid with Mercedes

Antonelli is one of a handful of drivers who only has a guaranteed place on the grid until the end of this season.

Mercedes have yet to confirm either of their drivers for 2026, although Russell could hardly have done much more to convince Toto Wolff he’s deserving of an extension.

Wolff is unlikely to want to replace Antonelli any time soon, with enough signs already that he could develop into a world-class driver.

He was never expected to immediately challenge for pole positions and race wins, and Mercedes’ cars aren’t competitive enough to beat the McLarens at this point in the campaign anyway.

Guenther Steiner could see Antonelli being replaced by Max Verstappen should the Dutchman decide he wants to leave Red Bull.

It would be incredibly unfortunate for the teenager to lose his seat in that way, although he’ll be aware that stranger things have happened in the Formula 1 driver’s market.