Jonas Leo
The highly-touted Mercedes rookie, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, has revealed that a significant suspension geometry change introduced by his team during his inaugural Formula 1 season effectively cost him "two or three months" of crucial development. The alteration, implemented at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in Imola last May, was intended to address specific performance deficits but ultimately destabilised the W15 chassis, disproportionately affecting the young Italian’s progress compared to his more experienced teammate, George Russell.
Mercedes’ decision to modify its rear suspension geometry came amidst a challenging period for the Brackley-based squad. Having entered the 2024 season with aspirations of closing the gap to front-runners Red Bull and McLaren, the W15 had consistently struggled with a lack of low-speed performance and difficulties in managing rear tyre temperatures. These issues often led to inconsistent grip levels and made it challenging for drivers to extract maximum performance, particularly on circuits with slower corners. The team’s engineers had been closely observing the class-leading McLaren MCL39, which demonstrated exceptional rear-end stability and tyre management, particularly in crucial low-speed sections, and sought to incorporate similar principles into their own design.
The Imola update was a direct attempt to rectify these deep-seated problems, reflecting Mercedes’ aggressive development push to reclaim their competitive edge. However, the revised geometry, rather than providing the desired stability and performance gains, introduced an unexpected degree of instability to the car’s rear end. While seasoned drivers often possess the innate ability to adapt their driving style to compensate for minor imperfections in a car’s handling, the impact on a rookie like Antonelli was far more profound.
Antonelli, who arrived in Formula 1 with a stellar junior career, including a remarkable ascent through the ranks, had enjoyed a promising start to his rookie campaign. His early performances, marked by flashes of raw speed and an impressive capacity for learning, had garnered significant attention and reinforced the belief in his prodigious talent. However, the introduction of the problematic suspension update coincided with the start of the European leg of the season, and his form visibly deteriorated.
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"I think I’ve lost a good two or three months of progress," Antonelli recently reflected on the technical hurdle. "Obviously, I struggled with the rear end more than George. I struggled more to adapt, mainly to do my driving style." The instability forced Antonelli to drive with a heightened sense of caution, preventing him from exploring the car’s limits and, consequently, his own. This period was characterised by a palpable drop in confidence, leading to a tense and constrained driving style that hindered any meaningful development. "It was a difficult period because I just kept losing confidence, driving super tense and I just really struggled to make any progress," he elaborated. "And obviously if I either was able to adapt better or if either I would have gone back earlier to the suspension, probably it would have been a bit different, and I would have been able to build momentum already at the end of the European season or halfway through it."
The contrasting experiences between Antonelli and Russell underscored the challenge. George Russell, with several seasons of Formula 1 experience, including navigating the notoriously difficult W13 and W14 chassis, possesses a more extensive ‘database’ of car behaviours and a refined ability to drive around issues. His adaptability allowed him to mitigate the negative effects of the new suspension to some extent, even if it wasn’t optimal for his driving. For Antonelli, however, who was still in the critical phase of understanding the nuanced demands of an F1 car and building consistent confidence, the sudden shift in handling characteristics proved detrimental. This period of stagnation was particularly costly for a rookie, as every race weekend and every lap is an invaluable opportunity for learning and adaptation at the pinnacle of motorsport.
Recognising the adverse impact on their young talent and the overall performance, Mercedes eventually reverted its suspension changes. This decision marked a turning point for Antonelli. With the car’s rear end returning to a more predictable state, he was slowly able to rebuild his confidence and rediscover his early season form. The latter part of his rookie year saw a significant improvement in his performance, culminating in what the team described as a "solid final leg" of the season, allowing him to demonstrate the underlying potential that had made him such a highly anticipated addition to the grid.
Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes’ trackside engineering director, provided an insightful perspective on Antonelli’s journey and the lessons learned. Shovlin highlighted that Antonelli has emerged from this challenging phase as a "much more rounded grand prix driver." He noted that while long runs were initially expected to be Antonelli’s biggest hurdle, he showed immediate strength in that area. Paradoxically, single-lap performance, often seen as a rookie’s strong suit, required more dedicated effort. "Single-lap performance took more work. Learning to trust the tyres and generate temperature early was key," Shovlin explained, pointing to the delicate balance required to extract peak performance from F1’s complex tyre compounds over a single qualifying lap.
Shovlin further elaborated on Antonelli’s burgeoning understanding of a race weekend’s intricate flow, a critical skill for any F1 driver. His ability to articulate what the car is doing has always been a significant asset, an attribute Mercedes highly values for development. This clear communication allows engineers to make precise adjustments, accelerating the learning curve. "His ability to describe what the car is doing has always been strong, which is one of the most important things," Shovlin affirmed.
Moreover, Antonelli is actively building a "database of cause and effect with setup changes," a fundamental aspect of becoming a self-sufficient and effective F1 driver. This involves understanding how each adjustment translates into on-track behaviour, allowing him to guide the team towards optimal setups. A key area of development has been learning the precise threshold of pushing the car – avoiding both under-hitting and over-hitting the limit. Shovlin cited the Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest as an example where Antonelli "overcooked it" in a crucial moment, indicating the fine margins at play. Similarly, towards the end of the year, as his results improved, there were instances where he "sometimes overdid it in Q3 after strong Q1 and Q2 performances," underscoring the pressure and the pursuit of perfection in the final, decisive qualifying segment.
Shovlin concluded with an optimistic outlook, emphasising that such learning experiences, though tough, are part of the natural progression for any driver. "These are details drivers with many years of experience have learned the hard way. What’s good with Kimi is that once he learns something, it sticks. He’s not repeating the same mistakes. Overall, we’re very much on track with him." This assessment highlights Antonelli’s crucial ability to internalise lessons and apply them, a hallmark of future champions. The setback, while significant in terms of lost development time, has ultimately forged a more resilient and analytically stronger driver, positioning him favourably for future challenges, including the highly anticipated 2025 season where he remains a leading candidate for a coveted F1 seat.
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Author Profile
- Jonas Leo is a passionate motorsport journalist and lifelong Formula 1 enthusiast. With a sharp eye for race strategy and driver performance, he brings readers closer to the world of Grand Prix racing through in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive paddock insights. Jonas has covered everything from preseason testing to dramatic title deciders, capturing the emotion and precision that define modern F1. When he’s not tracking lap times or pit stop tactics, he enjoys exploring classic racing archives and writing about the evolution of F1 technology.
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