Antonelli drops optimistic Mercedes message for 2026: 'Seems very promising'

The 19-year-old, who was in attendance at the 2025 ACI Golden and Flying Helmets awards ceremony, spoke to the media about the outlook for the 2026 season.

Antonelli explained how pleased he was with the opportunities presented by the major technical reset, before adding further details about his optimism regarding the Mercedes car.

“I think it's a great opportunity because we'll all start from scratch, and no one knows what to expect or exactly what to do,” Antonelli said via Sky Sports.

“I've done a lot of simulations, but you know, it's still early to say how the car will perform the first time I get on the track. So, I have to say that I'm excited. I can't wait to start with the 2026 car because I saw the car evolve in the wind tunnel, I went to see the engine project, and it all seems very promising,” he added.

The Italian driver, however, hinted that no one will truly know the performance level of each team until the first qualifying session in Melbourne, but added that it would be great to challenge for victories and possibly the world championship.

The Mercedes driver was also quizzed about a potential move to the Scuderia Ferrari outfit.

Antonelli, who is currently the only Italian driver in F1, stated he remains very happy at Mercedes but hinted at the possibility of such a move happening sometime in the future.

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