Overview

• Mercedes trackside director Andrew Shovlin said simulator problems curtailed Kimi Antonelli’s preparation for Zandvoort and Monza and that the team must “own a bit” of the responsibility.
• The Race reported that the simulator running Antonelli did complete used an erroneously high grip level, a detail not officially confirmed by Mercedes.
• Before Azerbaijan, Antonelli completed an intensive simulator day equating to two or three race distances, then qualified and finished fourth as Toto Wolff lauded a “really good rebound.”
• Shovlin also pointed to rear‑suspension spec changes that improved performance at select tracks but made the car harder to drive elsewhere, which he said was confusing for the rookie.
• With George Russell second and Antonelli fourth in Baku, Mercedes moved ahead of Ferrari to second in the constructors’ standings, and Ralf Schumacher argued the result lowers the likelihood of a Carlos Sainz move to the team.