Mercedes insider James Allison has revealed that Kimi Antonelli has been taking a cautious stance throughout his debut Formula 1 season, especially following a significant crash during a practice session at Monza in 2024. The young Italian driver, who graduated from the Mercedes Driver Academy, has been managing his race weekends with prudence, reflecting on the impact of that early setback.
Antonelli, then still competing in Formula 2, experienced a difficult introduction to Formula 1 when he crashed into the barriers during a Free Practice session at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. This incident raised doubts about his readiness to step up to the Mercedes F1 team at that time. However, after 14 races into the 2025 season, Allison has provided insight into how that crash shaped Antonelli’s mindset on track.
“We talk about this a bit internally, and it may just be more gossip than reality, but the trip into the barrier at Monza, I think that may have just left him approaching the weekends with a degree of caution as a result,” the motorsports designer stated via Mercedes-AMG Passion Club on X.
“We’ve been encouraging him to sort of trust [his talent]: ‘You can lean into that more than you think you can’. As he gets the confidence to do that, he’s finding his feet more quickly during the weekend,” he added.
Recovery and Growth Following the Monza Incident
Despite the initial crash, Kimi Antonelli has demonstrated significant progress as one of the standout rookies in the 2025 F1 season. His resilience was underscored when he secured a podium at the Canadian Grand Prix, becoming only the third youngest driver to do so. This achievement marks a clear turnaround from the doubts that followed his Monza session.
Antonelli’s Response to Scoring His First Formula 1 Points in Europe
Earlier in the 2025 season, Kimi Antonelli celebrated scoring his first points in a European Grand Prix by finishing 10th at the Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest. This result followed a challenging phase across European races, during which he suffered several mechanical failures and four DNFs in six events.
Antonelli’s performance at the Hungaroring offered a glimmer of consistency, especially after a difficult qualifying session. Reflecting on his weekend, he expressed cautious optimism and highlighted technical adjustments that helped improve his confidence.
“I am really happy that my confidence in the car has come back this weekend. I leave Budapest feeling much more comfortable after moving back to the previous rear suspension. Yesterday’s Qualifying was just a shame, as the pace was clearly there. We can take this feeling into the second half of the season and look forward to it with optimism now.”
Significance of Antonelli’s Cautious Progress and Future Outlook
Kimi Antonelli’s cautious approach after the Monza crash speaks to the mental and physical demands faced by rookie drivers in Formula 1. Mercedes’ strategy of encouraging him to trust his natural ability reflects a broader effort to nurture his potential while protecting him from rushing into mistakes. With his recent podium and points finishes, Antonelli is steadily gaining confidence and adapting to the intensity of F1 competition.
As the 2025 season advances, Antonelli’s ability to build on this cautious yet improving foundation will be critical in establishing himself as a consistent competitor and future asset for Mercedes. His trajectory so far implies that with continued support and growing self-belief, he could become a significant figure within the sport.
