During a gruelling Singapore GP, Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli finished in a commendable fifth place. However, he was not satisfied after the race. The young Italian believed more was possible, especially since Mercedes teammate George Russell secured the victory at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. He expressed his dissatisfaction with his performance in the qualifiers, as well as the start of the race.
As the lights went out, Antonelli was immediately overtaken by Lando Norris‘s McLaren and Charles Leclerc‘s Ferrari. He managed to outmaneuver the latter during the race. “The start was tough,” Antonelli confirmed to the media in Singapore. “The left side of the grid was slightly worse than the right side – it was a bit dirtier, which made it harder to have a good start. That was unfortunate, as it somewhat determined the rest of my race. We’ve seen it before; your position on the track is so important. I lost a few places and immediately got stuck behind Leclerc.”
“Honestly, the pace was very good, I felt comfortable in the car,” he continued optimistically. However, this made the final result in Singapore all the more disappointing for Antonelli. “I’m a bit disappointed because the potential was so much greater,” he sighed. “If I had driven a better qualifier, it might have been a different story. We will try to do better next time.” Antonelli was praised for his phenomenal overtaking manoeuvre on Charles Leclerc. On a circuit where overtaking is notoriously difficult, the 19-year-old driver gained one position with a daring, late braking action.
Overcoming a Difficult Period
After a challenging period during the European season, Antonelli seems to be regaining his form. Following his podium finish in Canada, he only scored three World Championship points in six Grand Prix races. However, with a fourth-place finish in Baku and P5 in Singapore, he is back on track. “It was a physically demanding race, but I’m pleased with how I managed to fight back,” he assured. “The pace was good, and I was able to regain a position with a solid overtaking move on Lewis Hamilton. We could have achieved more, but P5 is still acceptable.”
It was notable how well the W16 thrived in the warm conditions. Last year, Mercedes seemed to perform better in cooler temperatures, but even with a humidity level of over seventy percent, George Russell and Antonelli held their own. “The car is definitely getting stronger,” Antonelli confirmed. “I can really use it where I want and play with it, so that’s very positive. I’m looking forward to the next few races.” Antonelli concluded his press talk with congratulations for teammate George Russell and constructors’ champion McLaren. “In the end, it’s our engine that wins the championship, so I must also congratulate our department – they’ve done a fantastic job,” he said with a wink.
