Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s rookie Method 1 season has to this point reassured Mercedes by way of uncooked velocity and potential, however crew boss Toto Wolff and his driver do anticipate a noticeable step ahead so far as race tempo is worried.
Antonelli had a breakthrough weekend in Miami as he outqualified extremely rated team-mate George Russell twice, even claiming pole place for the dash. Beforehand, his common deficit by way of one-lap tempo had been 0.370s.
Nonetheless, the 18-year-old was crushed by his elder for the sixth time in as many grand prix races. Antonelli made the a lot of the Max Verstappen/Lando Norris battle in the beginning to seize second, however was then overtaken by each McLarens but maintained a tempo much like Russell’s behind – nevertheless the Briton was on onerous tyres and the Italian on mediums.
The digital security automobile gave Russell the chance of an affordable cease to get forward of the sister Mercedes, with Antonelli among the many drivers shedding out, dropping to sixth; then the teen proved to be a lot slower as tyre compounds have been reversed, shedding 14 seconds during the last 27 laps.
“I believe the excessive level undoubtedly [is] seeing the velocity on a single lap – nice,” Wolff commented, assessing his protege’s efficiency. “That is one other proof of his expertise and a great indication of how the longer term will be.
“After which within the race, difficult, as a result of it is so troublesome right here to search out the fitting reference. You may say, was the medium stint fast sufficient? With George holding on within the again on the onerous tyres – not good. After which when [Antonelli] went onto the onerous… He simply lacks expertise managing it the fitting means.
“I believe for Kimi at that stage it was about bringing the automobile dwelling in that place.”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Picture by: James Sutton / Motorsport Pictures
Antonelli himself is acutely conscious that he has room for enchancment following this perfectible Miami show.
“I must test the race tempo,” he admitted. “Right now was simply not good, particularly on the onerous. I actually struggled to make the tyre work within the stint, I used to be simply sliding rather a lot round and I could not actually discover a lap time.
“So I undoubtedly must analyse what went unsuitable as a way to be higher for Imola.
“It was fairly distinctive, this race, as a result of it was the primary time that I actually struggled to make the tyre work. However nonetheless, there’s a variety of positives to remove for subsequent weekend.”
‘Numerous positives’, that’s additionally what Wolff sees, with Antonelli taking 5 top-six finishes within the first six grands prix of his nascent F1 profession; given his inexperience, tyre administration was all the time going to be a wrestle in some unspecified time in the future.
“Discovering the fitting references – and [race engineer] Bono actually tried to information him – if you’re in that automobile, it is not simple,” the Austrian identified. “And I believe it is simply a part of the training curve, there’s nothing that’s disappointing or not. Total, I’m going away with the sensation that he is accomplished a great job.”
Further reporting by Mark Mann-Bryans and Emily Selleck
Learn Additionally:
On this article
Ben Vinel
Method 1
Andrea Kimi Antonelli
Mercedes
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