More than a question of points scored and position in the standings, the goal of Andrea Kimi Antonelli's first season in Formula 1 was to convince Mercedes management that it had made the right choice by turning to the teenager as its long-term replacement for seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
It was a bold choice that was not without its risks, but Mercedes knew this going in. "We are aware that he will face many difficulties," team boss Toto Wolff said in September 2024.
However, Mercedes may not have envisaged just how trying Antonelli's maiden campaign would become amid difficulties with the car's ill-fated suspension upgrades and huge public attention at his home races in Italy, all part of a character-building European season that required a full reset from its prodigy.
But Antonelli did respond to the challenge and came out the other side in one piece, strengthened by the experience and showing more than enough glimpses of his sheer talent, which was never in doubt.
One year on, Antonelli is still on the right trajectory to become a leading F1 driver, and the difficulties he faced have become a useful foundation of experience on which he can build his career.
Autosport: How different is the Kimi Antonelli of Melbourne from the one who has just finished his first season in Formula 1?
Andrea Kimi Antonelli: Very different. I can say that he has changed a lot. When I think back to Melbourne today, I remember how tense I was in the car. Today, it's completely different. I've grown a lot mentally. I feel I've been on a journey that has made me more mature in every way.
AS: You had to overcome many obstacles in a short amount of time; an intense season of 24 races spread over 10 months. Could you divide your debut season in different phases?
KA: There was a first phase, which I would say was positive, starting in Melbourne and ending with the Canadian Grand Prix. It was a period of great learning, I had to familiarise myself with the world of Formula 1 by going through a lot of new experiences, many more than I could have imagined before the start of the season.
After Montreal, a difficult period began, a phase in which I didn't see the progress I expected. That also had an impact on my morale, it was mentally tough. Starting in Baku, the season returned to what I wanted it to be. Now I can say that overcoming a difficult period gave me an extra mental boost. Putting those very tough months behind me was not a given; it was a tough but useful test.
AS: The Monza weekend was especially difficult, with Toto Wolff publicly criticising your form. What changed after that weekend?
KA: The return to the old rear suspension, which happened at Zandvoort, helped me a lot, but the turning point was above all a mental reset. I went back to basics – driving well, doing the right things every time I got in the car, just like before. During that difficult period, I had lost my direction a little. There was a lot of frustration, and I started thinking too much about the final result.
Every time I got in the car, I put a lot of pressure on myself and didn't focus on driving well, doing the right things, improving corner after corner. All this made me more tense, and the results still weren't coming. After Monza, there was a meeting between me, Toto and Bono (Peter Bonnington, Antonelli's race engineer), and after that meeting, I told myself that I had to reset and start from scratch.
AS: How was that meeting?
KA: They told me straight to my face what they thought of my performance, especially at Monza. But it was constructive criticism that I took on board in a positive way, and that helped me reset and made me determined to say: 'OK, now things are going to change'. And they did change.
AS: You had already experienced the excitement of your first Formula 1 podium in Canada, but once things didn't go well, the pressure and criticism is inevitably quick to follow too, isn't it?
KA: There were a lot of rumours during that difficult period. I was already going through a complicated time, and receiving pressure from outside [rumours about Antonelli's future and Mercedes' interest in Max Verstappen] certainly didn't help. I was aware that I had a long-term contract, but certain rumours make you think a lot. These are tough moments mentally, something that stays with you even when you get in the car.
But growing up means learning to live with these aspects, and after a year I can say that I have gained experience. I am aware that there are other obstacles ahead of me, but compared to a year ago, today I have a clearer vision of what lies ahead.
AS: What was your best moment of the season?
KA: It's difficult to choose one. There have been so many great moments, the first race in Melbourne, the first pole position in Miami [for the sprint race], the first podium in Canada, as well as the weekend in Brazil. But I think the best moment is yet to come...
AS: And the worst?
KA: The weekend at Spa. I arrived in Belgium in the middle of a bad spell and that weekend was a real blow.
AS: When did you start to feel like you were truly in control of the car?
KA: In Japan, I felt really good during the second stint of the race. Then in Canada, I had the pressure of the McLarens behind me and I knew I couldn't afford any mistakes if I wanted to finish on the podium. I had a similar feeling in Brazil, especially when Max appeared in my mirrors, and then in Las Vegas...
AS: What happened in Las Vegas?
KA: For the first time, I experienced a unique feeling. I had to make up ground after a disappointing qualifying session, and the only way to do that was to do a very long stint. I found my rhythm and started to feel like I was in a tunnel: I was doing everything automatically, without thinking too much about it. It was like putting the car on autopilot. I was driving and I didn't have a clear perception of every movement, everything came naturally, everything was automatic.
I remember that while I was experiencing that very special feeling, it almost bothered me to hear Bono's radio messages because they brought me back to reality. They were obviously useful information, but they took me out of that tunnel. I experienced a wonderful feeling, driving without thinking about anything else, just instinct.
AS: What advice would you give today to a Kimi who is about to start the 2025 season in Melbourne?
KA: Trust your instincts more, your abilities, the qualities that have allowed you to have this opportunity. Every time you get in the car, make sure you have a 'killer' mentality. When you're on the track, face everything head on.
AS: Would you also tell him to stop looking at social media? You received a lot of abuse after you were passed by Lando Norris in Qatar.
KA: I would tell him not to pay too much attention to what is said on social media. There will always be someone who criticises you, just as there will be lots of people who support you. I am lucky to have many supporters, but there are always those who try to bring you down and hurt you. I would tell him not to pay attention to these things. Constructive criticism, the kind that should be taken into consideration, is the kind that comes from people you trust, who are close to you. That's the kind that's important and really helps you improve.
AS: Did you ever look at George Russell's time on the monitor during qualifying and think: "How does he do it?"
KA: Oh yeah, and I have no problem admitting that it happened many times. The 2025 generation of cars was not easy to interpret, nor were the tyres. On certain occasions, the limit was so high that I finished a qualifying lap feeling like I had done a good job. Then I looked at George's telemetry, and realised that I could have pushed much harder...
AS: Meanwhile Russell was having his best year so far. Was it helpful to have such a high performing team-mate?
KA: Absolutely. There have been times when I realised I was pushing too hard, or not hard enough, thanks to comparing myself with George. I truly believe he is one of the strongest drivers on the grid, and he has proven that many times. He had a great season, and it helped me a lot to understand where you can make a difference, for example in the use of tyres, and it helped me to push myself further. I really enjoyed working alongside him, and in general there is a good dynamic in the team, a healthy competition.
AS: You've finished your first world championship. Is life in Formula 1 how you imagined it would be?
KA: I had an idea of what to expect from working with the team in the 2024 tests and starting to do my first marketing activities. But no matter how prepared I was, I still felt the impact, and at times I struggled a bit. You have to learn to manage your energy and find the rhythm that works best for your body and mind.
Dealing with so many activities takes away your physical energy but above all your mental energy, which is why it becomes important to manage yourself in the best possible way. If you're not 100% when you get in the car, your performance suffers, no question about it.
All in all, I had grasped some aspects in advance, while others required me to readjust a little by changing the way I approached them.
AS: Would you say that the pressure in Formula 1 is different from what you imagined before your debut?
KA: In my case, there was the pressure of making my debut, added to that of racing for a team like Mercedes, which is one of the top teams in the championship. You represent a huge brand; in the Formula 1 programme alone, there are 2,000 people working towards a single goal: to win.
So, yes, you feel the pressure. You know you have to perform, because you represent a group of people and you feel obliged to repay all the work the team does to provide you with the best car possible. Then there is the pressure from the media, as well as the pressure you sometimes put on yourself before getting into the car – that moment of tension, the fear of making a mistake.
AS: Was there a moment when the weight of responsibility affected you?
KA: Not in a worrying way. After a good start to the season, I only secured one point in the constructors' championship during the European phase, and at that moment I told myself that I had to get back on track, the team needed my contribution too. In the end it went well, we finished second.
AS: Have you learned to escape the pressure of the public and the media by saying “no” sometimes? Your home debut in Imola was very intense.
KA: Not entirely. I'm starting to do it, but I admit that sometimes I still find it difficult and feel a little guilty. But I have realised that the priority is to perform at your best every time you are on the track, and to do that you have to be 100%, physically and mentally. With the gaps we've seen this year, every little mistake has had huge consequences.
Ultimately, as a driver, you also have to know when to say 'no'. It's something I'm still learning, but I've realised how important it is. It's part of growing up.
AS: Of the few free weekends you had, you still spent a few in a paddock, even in MotoGP! Does that count as time off?
KA: I'll continue to do it because, in the end, it's something I like to do. I'm happy when I'm on the track with a kart, with remote-controlled cars, but also when I go to watch a MotoGP weekend. I have a lot of friends and I'm a fan, and even though it would be nice to be able to walk around the paddock in peace, in the end I don't give it much thought. I go from my friends at Aprilia to Ducati, from Yamaha to others, I want to say hello to everyone I know. Then there are Sundays when I want to stay at home on my simulator.
It always depends on the moment. I think it's important to do something you enjoy and that makes you feel good. It's a way that helps me clear my mind.
AS: We are on the eve of a new era for Formula 1. What are your expectations for the new regulations?
KA: I am very excited, and I believe it will be a great opportunity for the teams as well as for us drivers. I hope to have a good car, I have great confidence in the team, my dream is to be able to fight for victories and be in the part of the standings that offers a chance at the championship.
If I have a competitive car, it will be up to me to make the difference, and I really hope to be in that scenario. It will be very important to do a lot of work on the simulator, and whoever manages to find the right balance before the others will have a big advantage.
AS: Based on the tests you have done, do you think you will have to change your driving style?
KA: We will all be starting from scratch, and that is something that motivates me a lot. If you can understand something before the others, you can really make a difference, even when it comes to small details. I've tried the car on the simulator, and it will require a slightly different style, somewhere between this year's and the previous technical cycle, so it will take some adapting in terms of driving and power unit management, but it's all very exciting. I'm going to switch off for a while, I want to rest and calmly reflect on the season that has just ended. But at the same time, I can't wait to get back to preparing for 2026, I have a great season ahead of me.
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