Overview

• Mercedes’ Toto Wolff conceded the team placed rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli under “maximum pressure” but stressed the Italian remains a long‑term investment whose place is not being judged on single sessions.
• Antonelli rejected Helmut Marko’s claim that Mercedes set him up poorly, saying he is happy to start at a top team, accepts the demands, and views this year primarily as a learning season.
• Results have dipped since early highs of Miami sprint pole and a Montreal podium, with only two points finishes in the last eight grands prix and a sizable gap to teammate George Russell in the standings.
• The rough patch has included errors and setbacks such as a Monaco qualifying shunt, contact with Max Verstappen in Austria, reliability issues, and a gravel‑trap excursion in Dutch GP FP1.
• Wolff and Russell confirmed contract talks have resumed after a summer pause, with Wolff calling a new deal a formality and signaling plans to keep Russell and Antonelli in place for 2026.