Andrea Kimi Antonelli has not too long ago discovered himself beneath fireplace. First Jacques Villeneuve questioned his suitability for System 1, then Nico Rosberg voiced the same sentiment, albeit in much less dramatic phrases. Two world champions crucial of Antonelli – and now Toto Wolff has joined the refrain.
The Mercedes crew principal informed ServusTV that the 19-year-old had made “too many errors” in his house grand prix at Monza. Antonelli’s efficiency, Wolff stated, was “underwhelming” – a strikingly direct selection of phrases from somebody who had till then at all times shielded his rookie from public reproach.
When Antonelli crashed into the boundaries at Monza’s Alboreto (Parabolica) nook a 12 months in the past, he was rewarded along with his first System 1 contract the exact same weekend. Since then, errors had seemingly carried no penalties. In interviews, Wolff had by no means allowed a phrase of criticism to move his lips.
Now, after Antonelli’s ninth-place end at Monza, that has modified: “You may’t put the automotive within the gravel mattress [on Friday] and count on to be there,” Wolff informed written media after the grand prix. “The entire race was underwhelming.
“What he wants now could be merely to ship a stable weekend,” he added on ServusTV. “Then he’ll be proper there, combating with [Charles] Leclerc and George [Russell].”
There may be nonetheless little doubt concerning the Mercedes junior’s uncooked pace. Because the crew reverted to its earlier suspension, Antonelli has discovered it simpler to extract the automotive’s efficiency. In Monza qualifying he was simply 0.043 seconds shy of his skilled team-mate Russell.
But the race additionally confirmed why Russell is Mercedes’ dependable hand whereas Antonelli stays a wager for the long run. The Italian dropped from sixth to tenth at the beginning and later incurred a penalty for his erratic driving.
“I simply went a bit deep with the clutch and acquired wheelspin right away, and simply misplaced so many locations,” Antonelli informed Sky Sports activities F1. “That compromised the race as a result of I discovered myself needing to chase. It was not superb. Even on the mediums I struggled a bit, did a number of errors, simply could not actually discover my rhythm.”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Photograph by: Beata Zawrzel / NurPhoto through Getty Photos
Antonelli ultimately completed ninth on arduous tyres, however got here beneath stress from Alexander Albon on a lot brisker softs. On lap 45 Albon tried to go across the outdoors into Curva Grande, however Antonelli drifted broad and compelled him to again out. The stewards took a dim view: 5 seconds added, plus a penalty level.
“When Albon was within the technique of pulling alongside Antonelli at excessive pace Antonelli moved to the left and squeezed Albon who had two wheels on the grass,” learn the ruling. “The Stewards decide that by doing this he drove in a fashion deemed doubtlessly harmful to Albon.”
Wolff agreed with the sanction. “I believe that was merely pointless,” he informed Sky Germany. “Albon was a lot faster. Should you can defend, you get your elbows out. Should you can’t, then you definitely be sure to not lose time. However the way in which he did it – that wasn’t wanted.”
Antonelli got here house ninth. Towards Russell, the rating now stands at 2–17 in qualifying and 0–19 in races (together with sprints). Russell final loved such a lopsided document again in 2019 at Williams, when his team-mate Robert Kubica was making an attempt a comeback after his extreme rally accident.
“The weekend started badly for him when he went off into the gravel,” Wolff mirrored on Servus TV. “Unlucky, like in Zandvoort. In Baku he must ship a clear weekend. There will probably be much less stress there. It’s a monitor he is aware of.”
Nonetheless, Wolff confused in his post-race media session, his criticism of the Monza efficiency “doesn’t change something on my help and confidence in his future. As a result of I consider he’s going to be very, very, excellent. However as we speak was underwhelming.”
Antonelli himself pointed to positives: “Positively the qualifying was a step ahead. It has been a little bit of a weak level previously few races.”
The Friday crash, nonetheless, was expensive. He admitted such errors needed to cease, as they left him on the again foot at each Zandvoort and Monza in the course of the lengthy runs.
Wolff stated he meant to recalibrate Antonelli’s mindset with “talks”.
“A clear weekend additionally means, nearly, to not carry an excessive amount of trauma of earlier errors into the following session or the following weekend. As a result of that’s baggage. You’re not going to assault a nook arduous in case you’ve been off there earlier than and completed your session,” he stated in his post-race roundtable.
For Wolff, Antonelli nonetheless possesses all of the instruments to reach System 1. However one thing is obstructing him in the intervening time.
“Simply liberating him up. He’s an ideal driver, he’s acquired this unbelievable capacity and pure expertise, he’s a racer. It is all there. Every little thing is there. However we have to eliminate the ballast of earlier races.”
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