Andrea Kimi Antonelli is increasingly settling into his new team, Mercedes. The Italian is on the Formula 1 grid for the first time this year, and is immediately part of a top team. Antonelli reflects positively on his first miles in the W16 in Bahrain, but finds it strange that the next ‘test’ is already the opening race in Melbourne.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli had the opportunity to clock his first real miles in the 2025 Mercedes car in Bahrain, and the Italian was satisfied with the progress of the test days. The youngest driver on the grid got off to a good start, clocking the fastest time and the most laps during the first session in the desert.
The young Mercedes driver is feeling more and more at home with his new employer, although there is one thing he still needs to get used to. “I think I still need to understand a bit more about the car and especially the tyres,” says the 18-year-old debutant. “Especially in that qualifying round, the window in which they work is quite difficult to get right.”
Next stop: Melbourne
The rookie looks back positively on his first three test days as a Mercedes driver. “Overall, I’m quite satisfied,” Antonelli says, despite the test days not going smoothly due to a power outage and rainfall. “But overall, it was a positive test and it feels strange that the next test is the Melbourne race.” In two weeks, the Mercedes driver will start his first Grand Prix for the German team in Australia.
