Kimi Antonelli expressed deep satisfaction after a productive Friday ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix, calling it “one of the best Fridays I’ve had in a long time.” The young Mercedes driver delivered an impressive performance, finishing second in FP1 and third in FP2 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, trailing the top pace by just over a tenth of a second in both sessions. His strong showing continues a recent resurgence in form following a challenging mid-season stretch that had seen mixed results.
In recent races, Antonelli has rediscovered consistency, securing three consecutive points finishes before an unfortunate collision with Carlos Sainz in Austin ended his streak. Despite the incident, his confidence remains high as he prepares for Sunday’s race, especially with Sainz’s resulting five-place grid penalty in Mexico giving him a potential strategic advantage.
Reflecting on the day, Antonelli said, “It was a solid Friday, probably my best in quite some time.” He noted a minor engine issue during FP2 that the team resolved swiftly, allowing them to focus on valuable setup experiments. “FP1 felt excellent. FP2 was slightly less so, but we gained a lot of useful data. Some changes improved the car, others didn’t, but overall, we learned a lot heading into tomorrow,” he explained.
Antonelli emphasized the importance of adaptability, acknowledging that the track’s conditions will evolve significantly over the weekend. “The pace looks strong, but tomorrow will bring new challenges. The circuit will change, and we’ll need to adjust both the car and the driving accordingly. We’ll give everything to stay competitive,” he said, showcasing his growing maturity and understanding of race dynamics.
Meanwhile, teammate George Russell sat out FP1 as Mercedes fulfilled its rookie driver requirement by fielding Frederik Vesti. Russell used the break to watch the session incognito from the stands, joking about how rare it is for an F1 driver to spectate unnoticed. Returning to the car in FP2, he placed sixth, about four-tenths behind Max Verstappen. Despite the gap, Russell cautioned that tight margins across the grid will make qualifying highly competitive, especially given the short layout of the Mexican circuit and heavy traffic in the early qualifying rounds.
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