Despite their efforts, Mercedes could not reach the podium at the Imola Grand Prix. It was a disappointing weekend for home hero Kimi Antonelli.
The Silver Arrows Show Promise, But Upgrades Fall Short
Mercedes arrived in Imola for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix with four podiums in six races. These results have earned the German team second place in the Constructors’ standings.
While this is a solid achievement thus far, Team Principal Toto Wolff believes this is just the beginning. Rightly so, considering the significant gap to McLaren, who currently lead the championship with 132 more points than the Silver Arrows.
The W16 showed some improvement in both performance and balance, but there’s still work to be done. Imola marked the debut of a new upgrade package for George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. In particular, the Brackley team focused on tyre management, a weakness of the W16.
Imola also marked a special occasion for Antonelli. The Mercedes driver, born near the circuit in Bologna, made his home Grand Prix debut in front of his people, including his classmates.
Out on track in Imola 💚🤍❤️ pic.twitter.com/UOj3QdyXuh
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) May 17, 2025
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Mercedes on Friday and Saturday
Friday saw a solid performance from Mercedes, even though the McLarens looked on another level.
Russell finished fourth in both Free Practice sessions, showing strong pace and comfort with the track and the car. On Saturday, during FP3, Antonelli replaced his teammate in fourth, while the British driver ended the session in P8. Overall, the team remained optimistic heading into Qualifying.
Russell justified that optimism by taking third place on the grid for Sunday’s race, just behind Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen. The other McLaren, driven by Lando Norris, was to start behind him.
Things were different for Antonelli. The Italian rookie did not make it out of Q2, finishing the session in P13. Understandably, he was disappointed with the result. He struggled with tyre temperatures and couldn’t find the right feeling with the car.
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Their Performance in the Grand Prix
All podium hopes rested on Russell, who started from the second row. Antonelli faced a very different challenge, aiming to climb as many positions as possible.
Although the first stint seemed to favour Russell, a pit stop triggered by Charles Leclerc and the Virtual Safety Car changed everything.
Russell found himself shuffled back. His race pace was not strong enough to hold off the Ferraris of Lewis Hamilton and Leclerc or the Williams of Alex Albon.
Overall, his race was fairly anonymous, and the team faced another blow with Antonelli’s DNF.
The rookie made an aggressive start, taking a position from Hamilton and trying to keep him behind. He managed to climb up to fifth before, at Tosa, he reported a problem with his car. It appeared to be an issue with the Power Unit, and the Bolognese driver was forced to stop in the grass at Piratella.
A disappointing end to our Imola weekend pic.twitter.com/Mt8a5DG97j
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) May 18, 2025
With these issues, Mercedes leaves Imola empty-handed and with more work to do. They must also keep an eye on Ferrari, as the Scuderia are closing in on them in the standings.
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Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / justpictures.ch
Recording Date: 18.05.2025
