Overview
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli says a frank post-Monza meeting with Toto Wolff and race engineer Peter Bonnington triggered a mental reset that, alongside reverting to Mercedes’ earlier rear suspension at Zandvoort, restored his form.
- The 19-year-old concluded his debut season seventh in the standings with 150 points, three podiums and a Miami sprint pole, capping his recovery with rostrums in São Paulo and Las Vegas.
- Toto Wolff said Antonelli may need three to five years to reach his peak, framing the teenager as a long-term project ahead of the 2026 rules overhaul.
- Mercedes engine boss Hywel Thomas noted 2025 mileage gives Antonelli vital grounding for different driving demands expected under next year’s chassis and power-unit regulations.
- Antonelli acknowledged transfer talk, including Max Verstappen links to Mercedes, added pressure during his slump, and he downplayed Ferrari speculation as he targets a championship with Mercedes; off-track, he went incognito at a Milton Keynes kart track, set the fastest lap and received two penalties.