Kimi Antonelli in Monza paddock @RacePictures

Doubts arise over Antonelli's situation: 'What is Mercedes waiting for?'

10:23, 15 Sep

byTobia Elia

Sky Sports commentator David Croft spoke about Kimi Antonelli’s weekend in Monza and his contractual situation with Mercedes.

Kimi Antonelli in Monza paddock @RacePictures

''What is Mercedes waiting for?''

- David Croft

Speaking on the Sky F1 Show podcast about the difficult period the young Italian driver is going through, the British commentator said: ''He had a bad start in the race and never really recovered to get into a rhythm, I didn't think, after that.''

''I remember talking to Kimi at the start of the year, and he said that the crash at Parabolica in FP1 last year was still very much preying on his mind. And he's still kind of struggling a bit with that. I wonder if maybe because of his age or the person that Kimi is, he does dwell on the negative a bit more than other drivers and some of his other peers would.''

''If that's the case, maybe what he actually needs is a bit of an arm around his shoulder and a confidence boost from the team that says, you're definitely our driver for next year.''

Croft doesn’t understand what Mercedes is waiting for in announcing Antonelli’s contract extension, a move that, in his view, could bring some stability during this challenging period of the young driver’s career.

''I think he is an exceptional talent, and we're going to publicly state that now, because he still officially hasn't got a contract for next year. What are Mercedes waiting for? What's their option? The reserve driver is off to Cadillac. So who would they get in if it wasn't Kimi Antonelli? I don't think they want to bring anyone else in to replace Antonelli.''

''So just give him some public backing and see if that makes a difference. And the fact that he's got that drive for next year helps him just to kind of get rid of some of the negativity that some of his recent performances might be kind of building up.''

He finally added: ''That's just a bit of a suggestion. I think I just think he needs a bit of help. He needs a bit of a of a reason to smile at the moment.''

Wolff believes Antonelli's weekend at Monza was 'underwhelming'

Even at Monza, despite racing in front of his home fans, the 18-year-old from Bologna was unable to put together a flawless weekend or match the performance of his teammate, who finished just off the podium.

Antonelli spun in the opening minutes of FP2, immediately compromising his weekend as he lost almost the entire session after getting stuck in the gravel.

In qualifying, he managed to stay close to Russell, finishing just behind him, but the gap widened during the race, ultimately finishing ninth—also affected by a penalty for forcing Alex Albon off the track.

A weekend that Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff described as underwhelming, highlighting the challenging period the young Italian driver is experiencing this season.

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