Mercedes insider comes clean on Kimi Antonelli’s F1 fortune reversal: “Need to make the car better”

Mercedes' James Allison has shared his thoughts on how the team can reverse Kimi Antonelli's fortunes in Formula 1. Since the last few race weekends, the latter has massively struggled in the W16 and has been nowhere near the performance levels of teammate George Russell.

After the first 13 rounds of the 2025 season, Kimi Antonelli currently finds himself in seventh place in the drivers' standings, but has only managed 63 points. Moreover, in last week's Belgian Grand Prix, he yet again had a horrendous outing and eventually ended up way down in P16 in the overall standings.

In line with all the struggles that the young Italian driver has had in the W16, and how he can get his confidence back up, James Allison, via a recent interaction, said:

"We tell him and it's demonstrably a fact that we have taken the wrong steps with the car making our team less competitive and that he's paying the price for that, as is George. It's utterly clear to all of us that the thing we need to do is make the car better, and then Kimi's fortunes will reverse with that, and hopefully he's listening to us as we say those reassuring words, because we absolutely know that he is putting in the effort on his side of that bargain."

Kimi Antonelli is in his rookie season of the pinnacle of motorsport this year. While George Russell (currently P5 in the drivers' standings) is managing to get the maximum out of the W16, the former is finding it extremely hard to do the same.

Lewis Hamilton defends Kimi Antonelli amid tough F1 run

F1 Grand Prix of Belgium - Source: Getty

Kimi Antonelli has been tasked with the huge responsibility of filling Lewis Hamilton's shoes on the Mercedes Formula 1 team. Hamilton left Mercedes at the end of the 2024 season to join the Fred Vasseur-led Ferrari outfit.

In line with this and the poor run of form Kimi Antonelli has been on for some time, Lewis Hamilton has recently defended him. Via an interaction with Sky F1, the seven-time world champion said:

"I can't imagine what it's like at 18, or try to imagine what it's like at 18 to do what he's been doing. I think he's been doing fantastic to be thrown in at the deep end at 18. He didn't even have his driving licence when he started racing, so I think it's a lot on someone's shoulders and I think he's doing a great job."

Kimi Antonelli is yet to sign a contract extension at Mercedes, and the same is the case with senior driver George Russell. The upcoming summer break, following this week's Hungarian Grand Prix, could shed some light on the Mercedes driver situation for 2026.

Edited by pranavsethii