Kimi Antonelli failed to score points for the first time in his Formula 1 career at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
The Italian finished P11 at the Sakhir International Circuit after being caught out by the timing of the safety car. Antonelli bizarrely switched to the soft tyre after the restart, which did not pay off – ‘no one’ in the paddock could understand that decision.
The result put a dampener on the weekend for Mercedes after George Russell finished second between the McLarens. The Silver Arrows would have wanted both cars in the points, but Antonelli still showed strong signs of performance.
He went top of the time sheets at one stage in Q3, eventually finishing the session fourth. Russell and Antonelli were demoted one place each after Mercedes sent them into the fast lane of the pits before a restart time – caused by Esteban Ocon’s crash in Q2 – was confirmed.
David Coulthard paid Antonelli a huge compliment for his qualifying performance. However, he could not take advantage in the race.
Mercedes reminded Kimi Antonelli that Bahrain was only his fourth Grand Prix after ‘super frustrating’ race
The Italian did show his talent during the Grand Prix in Bahrain. Mercedes loved Antonelli’s overtake on Max Verstappen, who was struggling for performance in the RB21.
However, the safety car and a poor strategy call ruined the 18-year-old’s race. It was ‘super frustrating’ for the team, but CCO Bradley Lord shared that Mercedes reminded Antonelli that Bahrain was only his fourth Grand Prix.
Having a difficult result in F1 is all part of his development as a rookie. As Lord put it on Mercedes’ YouTube channel, it will be a ‘brilliant experience’ for him.
“For Kimi, a more difficult race as you said. It started a little bit on the back foot and then from there we tried some different things on the strategy that the safety car kind of thwarted a little bit,” he said.
“Maybe some of our decision-making wasn’t quite as sharp as it could have been. So, super frustrating to be P11 and just outside the points but also, we were after the race and sort of talking through with him and reminding ourselves it’s only his fourth Grand Prix.
“A difficult result is also part of the learning curve and no doubt will be brilliant for his experience as we head into Jeddah next weekend.”
READ MORE: Know all about 2025 Mercedes F1 driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli including stats
Kimi Antonelli’s record-breaking start to his F1 career proves he is a serious talent
Despite not scoring points in Bahrain, Antonelli is still sixth in the drivers’ championship. The fact that he is ahead of Lewis Hamilton – the driver he replaced at Mercedes – with 30 points, shows how impressive he has been.
The Italian produced a sensational drive on his F1 debut in Melbourne to finish fourth from P16 in the tricky weather conditions. He carried the momentum into China and Japan, finishing sixth in both races.
| Position | Drivers’ Championship | Points |
| 1 |
Lando Norris |
77 |
| 2 |
Oscar Piastri |
74 |
| 3 |
Max Verstappen |
69 |
| 4 |
George Russell |
63 |
| 5 |
Charles Leclerc |
32 |
| 6 |
Andrea Kimi Antonelli |
30 |
| 7 |
Lewis Hamilton |
25 |
| 8 |
Alexander Albon |
18 |
| 9 |
Esteban Ocon |
14 |
| 10 |
Lance Stroll |
10 |
Antonelli broke Max Verstappen’s record as the youngest leader of a Grand Prix after running first following the pit stops at Suzuka. His aggressive driving style and incredible maturity have already made him a standout performer in 2025,
Mercedes are excited to be working with Antonelli as he gives impressive feedback to his engineers. Bahrain is his first setback in F1 – he is certain to have more in the future – but the Italian is exceeding expectations already.
