P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Andrea Kimi Antonelli has established that Mercedes’ flawed suspension update caused the mid-season downturn that he endured in his rookie F1 campaign.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli attributes his mid-season struggles in his rookie Formula 1 season to Mercedes’ flawed suspension update, which caused a downturn in his performance.
Despite initial scepticism, Antonelli impressed by becoming the sport’s youngest pole sitter in Miami and securing his maiden podium in Canada.
However, a challenging run during the European season intensified pressure on the Italian driver as Mercedes introduced a new rear suspension that negatively impacted his performance.
Antonelli’s lack of adaptation to the new suspension led to a six-race scoreless streak, but with Mercedes reverting to the launch-spec suspension before the summer break, his confidence and performance improved significantly.
Although Antonelli had difficulties communicating his needs as a rookie, reverting to the old suspension helped restore his confidence and performance, leading to a happier driving experience in the latter part of the season.
Overall, Antonelli remains optimistic about the remainder of the season, aiming for constant growth and improvement in his performance with the Mercedes car.
