Kimi Antonelli Explains ‘steps forward’ With Mercedes Upgrades in United States GP Practice

Mercedes Unlocks Upgrade Potential at the Circuit of The Americas

Mercedes has demonstrated promising progress with its latest aerodynamic package at the United States Grand Prix, with Italian driver Kimi Antonelli reporting significant gains in understanding the car’s setup window. The Silver Arrows originally introduced the updates in Malaysia hoping to recapture their early-season competitive edge. However, after the parts failed to generate the anticipated performance jump, the team opted to split setups at the previous round in Singapore, reverting George Russell to the older specification.

This weekend at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, both drivers are back on an identical technical configuration aboard the Mercedes W17. The parity immediately yielded dividends across Friday practice, as Antonelli rebounded from a fifth-place result in Free Practice 1 to claim the second-fastest time in Free Practice 2, finishing mere thousandths off Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

Having both cars on the same upgrade package helps because we can try lots of different stuff and we can have a better understanding of this package, the 20-year-old explained. Since Singapore, having that week off, we were able to analyse the data and understand better what this package needs. However, we’re still trying to find how to put the car in the right window. Definitely we’ve been taking steps forward and we’ll see what we can do to improve even more.

Overcoming FP2 Quirks to Challenge the Front-Runners

Antonelli’s jump up the timing sheets in FP2 was made more impressive by an early technical hiccup inside the cockpit. As the second practice session got underway, loose seat mountings subjected the young driver to severe physical movement through the high-speed, sweeping corners of Sector 1.

It was a bit of a difficult start [to FP2] because the seat was not fixed properly, so it kind of felt like being on a rollercoaster on Lap 1, with the seat moving in the high speed [corners]. We lost a little bit of time but it was still a good recovery, said Antonelli. I felt good. I felt better in the car compared to FP1. Still lots of work to do but it was a good step forward and now we’ll try to improve even further for tomorrow.

Ending the day only 0.042s behind Leclerc placed Antonelli squarely into the fight for pole position and the race victory, positioning Mercedes firmly within the lead pack alongside Scuderia Ferrari, Red Bull Racing, and McLaren.

Mercedes Downplays Title Clenching Scenarios in Austin

The pace shown by Antonelli has reignited discussions about the Drivers’ Championship standings, as a victory combined with poor finishes for his closest competitors could mathematically seal the world title this weekend. Despite the possibility, Mercedes Deputy Team Principal Bradley Lord was quick to moderate expectations, emphasizing that the team is focused solely on maximizing points in a congested field rather than chasing long-shot title math.

Ultimately, for Kimi to win this weekend, it means the team has had a really bad race because the maths says George needs to be ninth or below, Lord said. That isn’t how we want to go racing and [it’s not] the result we’re aiming for.

Lord highlighted the razor-thin margins currently separating the grid’s top four teams, warning that qualifying and race execution will hinge on tiny fractions of a second:

It’s a very minimal chance. It’s theoretically possible but in practical terms, this isn’t the match point weekend. We’ll just try and get out there, get as many points as possible and then see when the maths starts to come towards us a little bit more.

We were looking at the overlays of the long runs and you’ve got to squint at it to really see too much difference between Leclerc, [Max] Verstappen, Kimi, [Lando] Norris looks strong as well, Lord added. It’s going to be a very close battle between all eight cars, I think there, and similarly on a single lap. It’s a matter of a tenth, half a tenth here or there, so it’s going to be really hard-fought and exciting.

Why This Matters

Mercedes’ struggles to correlate aerodynamic updates between the wind tunnel and the track have plagued development programs across Formula 1 during the current ground-effect era. By having both Antonelli and Russell run the same package at the Circuit of The Americas, the Brackley-based team can pool telemetry from two cars to fine-tune setup parameters without second-guessing baseline aerodynamic differences.

Furthermore, managing expectations around the Drivers’ Championship prevents internal friction between Antonelli and Russell. With the top four teams—Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, and McLaren—separated by mere tenths over both qualifying simulations and long-run stints, optimizing points for the Constructors’ Championship remains Mercedes’ primary logistical target.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Mercedes run different car configurations in Singapore?

The updates initially introduced in Malaysia did not produce the expected on-track performance gains. As a result, Mercedes reverted George Russell’s car to the older aerodynamic specification in Singapore to conduct back-to-back baseline comparisons against Kimi Antonelli’s updated car.

What issue did Kimi Antonelli experience during Friday practice in Austin?

At the start of Free Practice 2, Antonelli’s seat was not mounted correctly, causing it to shift through high-speed turns on his opening lap. After returning to the pits to resolve the issue, he completed the session and set the second-fastest time.

Can Kimi Antonelli win the Drivers’ Championship at the United States Grand Prix?

While mathematically possible if Antonelli wins and his primary rivals—including teammate George Russell—finish ninth or lower, Mercedes management considers the scenario highly improbable and is not treating the United States Grand Prix as a championship match point.