Kimi Antonelli has credited a challenging meeting with Mercedes management as the turning point for his recent surge in performance. The young driver experienced a difficult mid-season run, managing only one points finish in seven races before the meeting helped him regain focus.
Since then, Antonelli has scored points in five of the last six races, including achieving his best Formula 1 result with a second place in both the Sprint and main race in Sao Paulo. Reflecting on the meeting, he said it was “a bit of a tough one” but necessary to help him reset and refocus on the essential tasks.
Antonelli emphasized that the breakthrough in Brazil came from putting together a complete weekend. “For the first time this season, I was able to put the full weekend together and be consistently up there,” he explained.
He added that recognizing the need to change his approach was crucial. “I reset and realized again what to focus on, the basics, and trying to drive well. If I do all these things right, the result will come by itself.” The maturity in his mindset suggests growing confidence in his rookie campaign.
Looking ahead to the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Antonelli remains optimistic despite the track being new to him. Mercedes has a strong history there, with cold and wet conditions playing to their strengths last year when George Russell and Lewis Hamilton finished first and second.
Antonelli described Las Vegas as “another new track” with different conditions, noting expected cold and wet weather. He is committed to quickly learning the circuit and staying focused on the process.
At just 20 years old, Antonelli aims to replicate Mercedes’ strong recent form and deliver his best possible results while enjoying the experience. His recent resurgence after the pivotal meeting highlights his potential to rise in Formula 1’s competitive environment.
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