During last week’s closed-door testing session in Barcelona, Andrea Kimi Antonelli pointed out a noticeable gap between the 2026 Formula 1 simulator experience and the actual car’s performance on track. The Italian driver, preparing for his second season alongside George Russell at Mercedes, highlighted this issue as the new technical regulations come into play, altering how drivers interact with their cars.
Antonelli F1 simulator anomaly became evident as he and other drivers adapt to the significant rule changes anticipated to reshape the sport after several years of stability. While previous simulator runs throughout 2025 had hinted at some dissatisfaction among drivers, Antonelli confirmed the contrast firsthand after taking the Brackley-based Mercedes W17 out on track for the first time.
Antonelli Describes Simulator Differences and Ongoing Adjustments
Speaking to Motorsport Week, Antonelli reflected on his initial sensations:
“Yeah, I think, as I said before, the car feels nice. Obviously, on the sim, prior to trying out the car properly on the track, the feeling was a bit different than the actual car in real life.”
He elaborated on the discrepancy between simulator handling and on-track reality, which has prompted Mercedes to work intensely on aligning the two:
“Actually, the car, once I went on track for the first time, felt quite a bit better than how I felt on the sim. But, of course, now on the sim, we’re doing a lot of work, especially after Barcelona, trying to correlate it, you know, coming with a fresh mind, fresh memory from the actual car.”
Antonelli emphasized the collaborative efforts with the simulator team, known colloquially as the “sim guys,” to improve accuracy:
“You know, we were doing a lot of work trying to help the sim guys to correlate it the best way possible because, obviously, before it was kind of a guess, you know, with the feeling and handling of the car.”
He added,
“But now that we actually drove it, it’s going to be much easier to tell where to work on the sim.”
Despite limited track hours, Antonelli found the new W17 more rewarding to drive than last year’s car:
“But going back to your question, the car, on my side, despite having very little experience, it does feel a bit nicer to drive compared to last year’s.”
Technical Features of the 2026 Car Make It Feel More Like a True Racing Machine
The introduction of ground-effect aerodynamics in recent seasons had split opinions, with several drivers expressing relief at moving away from its complexity. The 2026 regulations bring fresh challenges, including new power unit designs, altered aerodynamic rules that abandon DRS in favor of different overtaking aids, and heightened energy conservation demands that drivers must manage carefully.
Antonelli gave insights into the new dynamics and the relative improvement in drivability:
“Of course, in high speed, there’s a bit of a difference compared to last year’s car. But other than that, the car feels more like a racing car. So, a bit more agile.”
He explained how the downforce distribution has become more balanced and predictable:
“Also, the downforce curve is much flatter. If last year, we had very little downforce in low speed and massive downforce in high speed, this year it’s a bit more linear. So, on that side, it’s nicer.”
Antonelli further noted the car’s forgiving setup requirements and predictability:
“And also the fact that you don’t need to run it as stiff. The car is more predictable when driving.”
Summarizing his experience, Antonelli said,
“So, yeah, I think as a baseline, you know, the new regulation has been good and has given good feeling. And it’s been good fun so far to drive it.”
Implications for Mercedes and Forward Progress
Mercedes, along with their drivers Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, are now focused on refining simulator fidelity to match the real-world car performance as they prepare for the 2026 season. This alignment is critical for maximizing the effectiveness of simulator training, given the increasingly complex technical rules governing aerodynamics and power units. The ongoing work following the Barcelona test suggests an intensive development phase remains before full race readiness.
The findings revealed by Antonelli underline the challenges teams face in adapting to drastic regulatory shifts that affect vehicle behavior both virtually and physically. Improving simulator accuracy is expected to aid driver preparation, enhancing feedback loops and car setup strategies as the Formula 1 field adjusts to the new era.
