Antonelli riconosce quali debolezze ha avuto nel suo anno da rookie.

      "I’m trying to find my limits."

      Kimi Antonelli acknowledges that he is still having difficulty maximizing the performance of his Mercedes during qualifying in his first season in Formula 1. The 18-year-old experienced tears during his inaugural Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps due to a disappointing weekend of performance, which led Mercedes to revert to an older rear suspension setup for Hungary—a change that instantly improved his performance. However, Antonelli, who is seen as Lewis Hamilton's successor and has drawn early comparisons to Max Verstappen, admits that he has yet to fully master the qualifying process.

      "In qualifying, the grip is exceptionally high. You approach corners much faster than in the race, and with every lap, you think, 'I can take this corner even quicker.' I'm not at the point yet where I've reached the absolute limit on my first lap," Antonelli stated, as reported by Auto Motor und Sport. "I’m working my way toward the limit. The issue is that qualifying doesn't provide many chances to gradually find it, and the limit keeps changing based on the conditions. But I'm making progress."

      Antonelli notes that the gap to his teammate George Russell is smaller during races. "Managing tires is easier for me since you don’t drive at the limit during the race," he explained. "This way, you also understand better how much the car can tolerate."

      Following Mercedes' recent struggles to close the gap to Max Verstappen, the Brackley team is anticipated to retain both Russell and Antonelli for the 2026 season. "My aim has to be to match his times," Antonelli expressed. "I believe that's achievable. George is having an incredibly strong season. He's proving that he is among the best, particularly when the car is performing well—he shows what he is capable of. He’s a truly formidable teammate."

      "If I could reach his level by the end of the year, that would be a great honor."