How a post-Italian GP meeting transformed Kimi Antonelli's rookie F1 season

Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli has revealed that a tough post-race meeting after a poor Italian Grand Prix led to a mental reset for the rest of the 2025 Formula 1 season.

Following a bright start, which included a sprint pole in Miami, Antonelli's maiden campaign was derailed due to an ill-fated Mercedes suspension update that sapped him of confidence, while the increased interest and scrutiny during the European leg of the campaign further drained his mental energy.

Antonelli's year hit rock bottom at Monza in September when an off in FP2 left him on the back foot. The Italian teenager then slipped backwards at the start and was left off the pace, finishing ninth behind Sauber rookie Gabriel Bortoleto.

"Underwhelming," Mercedes chief Toto Wolff summed up Antonelli's Monza weekend at the time. "You can't put the car in the gravel bed and expect to be there. All of the race was underwhelming. Doesn't change anything on my support and confidence in his future, because I believe he's going to be very, very, very good. But today was underwhelming."

In an exclusive, wide ranging interview with Motorsport.com, which can be read in full, Antonelli revealed he held a post-Monza meeting with his boss and race engineer Peter Bonnington which transformed the rest of his campaign. 

"During that difficult period I lost my direction a little, there was a lot of frustration, and I started thinking too much about the final result," Antonelli explained. "Every time I got in the car, I put a lot of pressure on myself and didn't focus on driving well.

Toto Wolff, Mercedes, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

"After Monza, there was a meeting between me, Toto and Bono and after that meeting, I told myself that I had to reset and start from scratch.

"They told me straight to my face what they thought of my performance, especially at Monza. But it was constructive criticism that I took onboard in a positive way, and that helped me reset and made me determined to say: 'OK, now things are going to change'. And they did change."

Antonelli's turnaround coincided with Mercedes reverting to its previous suspension in Zandvoort and an improved second half of the season included podiums in Sao Paulo and Las Vegas.

The 19-year-old, who finished seventh in the 2025 standings, therefore feels his rookie blues gave him a solid foundation of experience to build on for his sophomore campaign in 2026.

"The return to the old rear suspension, which happened at Zandvoort, helped me a lot, but the turning point was above all a mental reset," he said. "I went back to basics - driving well, doing the right things every time I got in the car, just like before.

"Now I can say that overcoming a difficult period gave me an extra mental boost. Putting those very tough months behind me was not a given; it was a tough but useful test."

When asked what advice he would give to his younger self before the start of the 2025 season in Melbourne, he replied: "Trust your instincts more - your abilities, the qualities that have allowed you to have this opportunity. Every time you get in the car, make sure you have a 'killer' mentality. When you're on the track, face everything head on."

Exclusive: Andrea Kimi Antonelli on highs and lows of his 2025 F1 rookie season

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.