Mercedes crew principal Toto Wolff described Kimi Antonelli’s efficiency on the Italian Grand Prix as “underwhelming” and believes his driver must free himself from earlier errors.
Antonelli spun into the gravel throughout Friday’s second observe session at Monza, shedding long term knowledge at a key level of the weekend. Whereas he certified simply behind teammate George Russell, Antonelli then picked up a penalty for forcing Alex Albon off observe and was warned over observe limits violations as he was categorised over 20 seconds behind Russell in ninth place.
“Underwhelming this weekend, underwhelming,” Wolff mentioned. “You’ll be able to’t put the automobile within the gravel mattress and anticipate to be there. All the race was underwhelming.
“It would not change something when it comes to my assist and confidence in his future as a result of I consider he will be very, very, excellent. However [Monza] was… underwhelming.”
Wolff believes Antonelli is getting held again by among the different errors he has made in his rookie season, pointing to it taking him six laps to go Pierre Gasly after his pit cease maybe being a hangover from his collision with Charles Leclerc in Zandvoort every week earlier.
“I believe a clear weekend means virtually to not carry an excessive amount of trauma of earlier errors into the subsequent session or into the subsequent weekend, as a result of that’s baggage,” Wolff mentioned. “You are not going to assault the nook laborious for those who’ve been off there earlier than [in a previous] session, or perhaps you are not attacking a driver that shouldn’t be in your method like Gasly as a result of we had this example with Leclerc. He should not lose even a second on Gasly.”
With Antonelli nonetheless struggling for consistency regardless of Mercedes making progress with its rear suspension – an space that was proving troublesome for the the drivers – Wolff believes the Italian rookie wants extra confidence to carry out at a better degree.
“Simply releasing him up [is key],” Wolff mentioned. “He is a fantastic driver, has this unbelievable means and pure expertise. He is a race driver – it’s all there. However we have to do away with the ballast.”
