Kimi Antonelli and Mercedes deputy workforce principal Bradley Lord have mentioned how the Brackley outfit helps the Italian driver stay grounded amid his 2026 success.
At 19 years previous, Antonelli turned the youngest driver to steer the drivers’ championship within the historical past of Formulation 1 after back-to-back wins on the Chinese language and Japanese Grands Prix.Â
Whereas he at the moment has a nine-point lead over his skilled Mercedes team-mate George Russell, the season is lengthy.
“I at all times attempt to, particularly after China, to maintain myself grounded,” Antonelli defined on the Mercedes Nu Silver Arrows Radio Present, referring to his maiden F1 win on the Shanghai Worldwide Circuit.
“Then concentrate on the following one, as a result of it’s extremely straightforward to get carried away from these moments, that are superb. However on the finish of the day, this season remains to be very lengthy, and the aim stays the identical. So, we simply need extra of that feeling.”
Discussing the assist he has had from Mercedes, he added: “With Mercedes I’ve been with them since 2018. So, since I used to be 12, it has been an unbelievable journey thus far. I grew up with them.Â
“Final yr, the transition did not really feel large as a result of I have been working with the workforce. I knew quite a lot of the members. So it was a really clean transition. It has been superb.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Photograph by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Photos
“Mercedes has given me so many nice alternatives since my karting days. And now we’re residing an important second collectively, and hopefully we are able to hold going this manner, however I am very joyful the place I’m. And, I’ve received such nice assist.”
Lord shared a enjoyable anecdote from a filming day at Silverstone, which confirmed how the workforce is maintaining the younger driver in his place. “To offer you an thought of how you retain a driver grounded, so at the moment, we have had a filming day at Silverstone,” the deputy workforce principal defined.
“Kimi determined it might be enjoyable to wheelspin out of the storage to go away large black marks on the storage, which the fellows then have to scrub each single time he leaves the storage. So he is drifting out into the pitlane considering ‘I am tremendous cool’, the fellows are having to scrub it.
“In order that they take all of the soiled cloths that clear the storage and stick all of them down the sleeves of his jacket simply to ensure as he will get again out and places the jacket on that they’ve a particular thanks for him as effectively.”
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