Helmut Marko has revealed a private chat with Kimi Antonelli at a hotel during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend. According to the Red Bull chief, the Italian teenager has ‘no confidence’ in his Mercedes machinery when the time comes to push. Antonelli arrived at the Hungaroring on Thursday under immense pressure following a miserable weekend at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.
The teenage rookie was eliminated in Q1 in both the sprint shootout and in qualifying on Saturday, walking away from Belgium with no points to show for his efforts. The 18-year-old has now finished 16th or lower in five of the last six Grand Prix weekends, although the outlier in that run was a maiden F1 podium at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Mercedes are keeping faith in their young prodigy, but it’s clear to see that Antonelli’s confidence is at rock-bottom.
“I don’t want to make any outside comments on how things work for any other team. Antonelli is certainly very fast, but also a very young driver,” Marko explained to F1-Insider. “Strangely enough, we spoke briefly in the hotel at Spa, and he said that he has no confidence in the car.
“As soon as he pushes, he no longer has control. It’s more of a mental thing, and it seems that [with] his car, like ours, it’s very critical to be in the working window. When it does work, it’s much more potent, and of course a driver like Russell does it much more easily. Mercedes, thank goodness, don’t have the luxury of a second team.”
Mercedes are making changes in an attempt to improve Antonelli’s feeling from within the cockpit. At this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, the Silver Arrows will revert to their old suspension in an attempt to rediscover form.
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Antonelli has also taken some time to unwind away from the spotlight. The 18-year-old has received public support from some of the biggest names on the grid, including team-mate George Russell and predecessor Lewis Hamilton.
“I definitely tried to rest and reflect on the previous races, and trying to understand where I could have done better and how,” Antonelli revealed. “But also, I took time for myself. I did fun activities such as driving my remote control car, and all activities that help the mindset and help to get back even stronger on the track.
“I’ve definitely been also trying to prepare for the weekend in the best way possible, and now I feel happy. I’m really happy to be here and I’m ready to give my best before heading to the summer break.”