How a Post-Monza Meeting Transformed Kimi Antonelli’s Rookie F1 Season

In an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com, Antonelli revealed how this pivotal conversation helped him reset mentally, refocus on fundamentals, and ultimately salvage a season that had threatened to spiral out of control.

The Monza Low Point

Antonelli entered the 2025 season as one of F1’s most highly rated rookies, but his campaign hit a nadir at Monza in September. After a promising start—including a historic sprint pole in Miami—his confidence was shaken by a series of setbacks. This culminated in a crash during free practice and a lackluster race weekend in front of his home crowd. “Underwhelming,” was how Wolff described the performance at the time.

“During that difficult period, I lost my direction a little,” Antonelli admitted. “There was a lot of frustration, and I started thinking too much about the final result. Every time I got in the car, I put a lot of pressure on myself.”

The Meeting That Changed Everything

After Monza, Antonelli, Wolff, and race engineer Peter Bonnington held a candid debrief. The meeting wasn’t about blame, but about refocusing on process over results.

“They told me straight to my face what they thought of my performance… But it was constructive criticism that I took onboard in a positive way. It helped me reset and made me determined to say: ‘OK, now things are going to change.’ And they did change.”

From Struggle to Podiums

The turnaround was immediate. Antonelli’s improved mindset coincided with Mercedes reverting to a previous suspension setup at Zandvoort, which better suited his driving style. The results followed: a return to points-scoring form in Baku and breakthrough performances in the season’s final races.

Lessons for the Future

Antonelli now views his rookie struggles as a “solid foundation of experience” to build on for 2026. The Monza meeting taught him the value of mental resilience and the need to stay process-focused under pressure.

For Mercedes, Antonelli’s ability to bounce back from adversity has reinforced their confidence in him. As Wolff noted, “It doesn’t change anything on my support and confidence in his future, because I believe he’s going to be very, very, very good.”