Mercedes deputy technical director Simone Resta has provided details on why Kimi Antonelli experienced a disappointing start at the 2025 Italian Grand Prix. Despite qualifying sixth after a strong Saturday session, Antonelli slipped down to tenth by the end of the first turn due to an issue with his clutch application. This early setback significantly affected his race pace and final position.
Resta, addressing fans during a recent Mercedes Akkodis show Q&A, disclosed that Antonelli’s clutch control was not precise during the start sequence. This misjudgment resulted in excessive wheel spin, causing him to lose four places immediately after the lights went out at Monza, a track that holds special significance as Antonelli’s home race.
“Essentially, Kimi after a quite consistent sequence of start practice, he wasn’t able to go right on the target in terms of clutch position and that essentially created a lot of spin in the first phase of the start, in the position, in P10.”
—Simone Resta, Mercedes Deputy Technical Director
While Antonelli struggled, his teammate George Russell managed a solid performance, maintaining fifth position from start to finish during the race. Overall, Mercedes found the weekend underwhelming, especially given their expectations on a circuit familiar to Antonelli.
In the current Constructors’ Championship standings, Mercedes sits third with 260 points, trailing second-place Ferrari by 20 points. Meanwhile, McLaren leads comfortably with 617 points and is favored to retain the title this season.
Antonelli Reflects on Difficult Home Race and Learning Curve
Kimi Antonelli openly discussed his frustrations after failing to capitalize on his promising qualifying result in his home Grand Prix. Acknowledging the mistakes made during the weekend, he spoke candidly about the areas where he needs to improve as a rookie competing at the highest level.
“It’s my first full weekend and there are many things I need to learn. I made mistakes, but I know what I need to improve on.”
—Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes Driver (via Sky Sports F1)
Following 16 races and three Sprint events so far, Antonelli holds eighth place in the Drivers‘ Championship with 66 points, lagging behind Russell, who currently stands fourth with 194 points. Oscar Piastri from McLaren leads the championship, boasting 324 points.
2025 marks Antonelli’s debut season with Mercedes, where he took over from Lewis Hamilton, who is set to join Ferrari. Although Antonelli has faced challenges adapting to Formula 1 compared to his experienced teammate Russell, team principal Toto Wolff has expressed unwavering confidence in the young driver’s potential.
