Overview

• Andrea Kimi Antonelli said he is happy to have started at Mercedes, acknowledging the pressure but stressing that 2025 is primarily for learning.
• He noted a junior-team seat would carry less stress yet insisted the Mercedes environment lets him “learn massively.”
• Marko criticized Mercedes for hyping the teenager and argued a junior or satellite team like Racing Bulls would have eased the pressure, also claiming Antonelli told him he lacked confidence at Spa, which Antonelli has not confirmed.
• Antonelli’s season opened with a Miami sprint pole and a Montreal podium but tailed off through Europe, yielding only one point across those rounds and just two points finishes in the last eight grands prix.
• He sits seventh in the standings and trails fourth-placed teammate George Russell by 108 points, with Antonelli emphasizing ongoing team support through his adaptation to the W16.