Mercedes System 1 deputy crew principal Bradley Lord believes that Kimi Antonelli had three years’ price of studying in his rookie season.
The Italian driver joined the Brackley outfit in 2025, taking the seat left by seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton. Thrown straight into the limelight of a high crew, Antonelli managed the strain of his new position, ending seventh within the drivers’ standings with 150 factors.
He secured his maiden F1 podium end on the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix and celebrated two extra podiums in Brazil and Las Vegas.
“What’s been actually cool is definitely seeing Kimi’s perception in himself begin to match the belief that the crew has put in him,” Lord stated throughout the Mercedes Nu Silver Arrows Radio Present.
“So, it is very easy if you’re outdoors the automobile or observing to imagine each driver has good confidence in themselves always and that they’ve the assumption that they will do it. And truly seeing Kimi construct the assumption in himself, undergo the tough bit final season, which I feel value you a bit of confidence as effectively, however then watching you set what you wanted in place to rebuild that with Baku, and Vegas, and Brazil, and people actually robust performances on the finish of the season, that is been the great factor.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Picture by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Photos through Getty Photos
“It felt to me such as you usually speak in regards to the tough second album or the tough second season for a driver, and Kimi managed to have about three years’ price of studying in a single final yr, presumably simply being in a front-running crew as effectively, within the strain of a battle for P2 within the constructors, that isn’t usually one thing {that a} rookie driver has to cope with.
“Once we now see the Kimi who’s come into 2026, had the reset of the winter, and it looks like you’ve got, to me anyway, a couple of season’s expertise beneath your belt, and you probably did numerous studying final yr at excessive velocity.”
Antonelli secured his maiden F1 grand prix win on the 2026 Chinese language Grand Prix and went on to take the lead of the drivers’ standings with a second win on the Japanese Grand Prix.
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