Shovlin: We must help Kimi deal with the pressure.

      Kimi Antonelli’s results in his debut Formula 1 season cannot be described as consistent, although at the recent Azerbaijan round he performed quite well, setting the fourth-fastest time in qualifying and finishing fourth in the race.

      But, for example, the Dutch Grand Prix, which took place immediately after the summer break, he finished outside the top ten, and the weekend in Zandvoort actually began for him with him running off track in Friday’s first practice. However, it has now emerged that this was not entirely his fault.

      Speaking about the inconsistent form of the 19-year-old Italian, Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes’ chief race engineer, admitted that Antonelli’s results were affected by problems related to a malfunctioning simulator at the team’s Brackley base.

      “Before Zandvoort Kimi came to the base to do a simulator session, but we had certain problems,” RacinNews365 quotes Shovlin as saying. “That meant he didn’t have the opportunity to prepare properly, after which he made a mistake in first practice, and I think part of the responsibility for that lies with us.

      “At the start of the season Kimi showed himself fairly well, meeting the expectations placed on him — his talent certainly allows him to race in Formula 1 for Mercedes. At the same time there is no doubt that after a period of poor performances, when he wasn’t able to score points as regularly as George Russell, he felt the pressure intensify, and our job is to help him cope with that pressure.

      “To that end we’ve recently intensified his programme, trying different approaches to help him prepare properly for the remaining races of the season, and we are simply continuing to analyse everything thoroughly to achieve the desired result.

      “With each race Kimi will get better. With young drivers we often see that in their second season, when they visit the championship circuits for the second time, they make big strides forward.

      “On some of those circuits Antonelli has either never raced before or has only raced there in junior-category machinery, and now he has to compete with professionals who have many years of experience in Formula 1. In short, it’s always tough for rookies. But, as I said, we will continue to analyse our preparation processes and adjust them until we achieve the necessary results.”