Kimi Antonelli highlights ‘different story’ after Mercedes switch to old suspension spec
Despite exiting in Q2, Kimi Antonelli was at least happier with his car in Hungary.
Kimi Antonelli said it was “a different story” after he switched back to an old suspension setup following the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Despite qualifying 11th, Antonelli at least found some positives in that the Mercedes car was easier to drive after the team reverted to a previous design of its suspension.
Kimi Antonelli praises Mercedes decision to swap suspension spec
Antonelli has struggled since Formula 1 moved to Europe, scoring just six points at races on the continent. While that difficulty is likely to continue this weekend, the 18-year-old has at least refound confidence in the W16 with a switch back to an old part.
“I think the confidence was there because Lap 1 in Q1 was good,” he said. “Then Lap 2 in Q2 was wet in sector two and then, on the new tyre, I don’t know what happened.
“Already, from Turn 1, I lost the rear completely and it’s a shame, because I definitely had more confidence. But once again, things didn’t go my way.”
On the suspension in particular, Antonelli said it was “a different story” and that the decision to revert to an old spec had been made after a team meeting on Monday.
More reaction from quali in Budapest
Charles Leclerc does not ‘understand anything about Formula 1’ after shock Hungarian GP pole
Hungarian GP: Charles Leclerc stuns McLaren to snatch pole
“Definitely was a different story this weekend,” he said. “I think as a team, we had a meeting as well, and we saw that with the suspension, both me and George felt better at the start of the season. So it was a decision that we took as a team.”
The difference was so stark that Antonelli said it was a “shame” Mercedes had not opted to pull the plug earlier.
“It’s a bit of a shame that we didn’t go earlier to the old suspension because definitely today, this weekend overall, I felt far more confident in the car than I was before.
“It’s a shame, because I think today, the result could have been much better. Conditions were different since this morning, a lot different. Temperature was much lower and grip was higher. So there was a lot more potential on the table.”
Read next: F1 2025: Head-to-head qualifying statistics between team-mates