The 2025 F1 Spanish GP ended in frustration for Kimi Antonelli after his Mercedes engine gave out late in the race, triggering the safety car and setting the stage for late drama. For the 18-year-old rookie, it marked the end of a lonely and ultimately disappointing afternoon in Barcelona.
Sudden engine failure cuts short promising run
Speaking to written media after the 2025 F1 Spanish GP, the young Italian detailed the abrupt nature of the failure, which came as a surprise during what he described as a relatively stable run on the medium tyres.
“It was all of the sudden,” Antonelli said of the mechanical issue. “I did not feel it coming together. It was pretty lonely in the race, because I was quite upset with the strategy. And on the medium I felt quite decent, to be honest, especially at the end I was having a consistent pace.”
“It was a shame to finish off like this. It was a really difficult triple header on my side, and now we will try to come back stronger for the next one.”
Although disappointed with the outcome, Antonelli acknowledged the valuable lessons he continues to gain from the W16 and its sensitivity to high temperatures.
“Yeah, it was very tricky out there with the hot temperatures, much hotter than FP2, for example, when we did the long run. So it was not easy out there, but still it was a very good learning.”
Resetting after a gruelling triple header
The 2025 F1 Spanish GP marked the end of a challenging triple header for Antonelli, who endured two retirements and a lapped finish in Monaco. Despite this difficult stretch, the Mercedes rookie believes the coming break will give him a crucial chance to reset ahead of Canada.
“Now, obviously, I have time to reset, to reset the mind and everything, and I will try to gather all the learning, all the information in order to be back stronger for Canada.”
“I think Canada is going to be completely different track, completely different tarmac, closed tarmac, and back with the C6. So it is going to be important to understand more the behaviour of it, and on my side I will try to, now the goal is to try to put everything together, because I think the potential is there.”
Gaining confidence in Qualifying
Although the 2025 F1 Spanish GP ended with a mechanical issue, Antonelli saw signs of improvement earlier in the weekend. Reflecting on Qualifying, he noted that the pace was present but he was unable to fully capitalise.
“Also yesterday Qualifying, on that last lap, the potential to finish further up was there. It is just, you know, also because I had only one set, but I did not really put everything together. But it was still nice to kind of get back into the rhythm, especially after two difficult weekends with the qualifying, so now the confidence is getting back.”
Unlocking the C6 tyre’s potential
Looking ahead to Canada, Antonelli emphasised that maximising the performance of the C6 compound will be central to his efforts. The softest compound in Pirelli’s range, the C6 has proven difficult for several teams to manage this season.
“Understanding the tyre, especially when it comes to qualifying, with the changeable condition, understanding how to extract always the maximum out of it [will be the key focus]. Because what I felt for me in Monaco, it is a very picky tyre, where the window is super small, and if you are already in the warm-up, if you are out of the window then you do not get the grip out of the tyre. So it is really important to understand how to always put the tyre in the window for when I start the lap.”
Encouraging signs from Mercedes upgrades
Despite the setbacks, Antonelli found reasons to be optimistic about the W16’s upgrades. Mercedes brought a new rear suspension package to Spain, which appeared to enhance the car’s drivability—something Antonelli felt from behind the wheel.
“They felt, you know, the car felt pretty good, connected,” he said. “So I think we did feel something, and now we will see also with the rear suspension, because we have done some good learnings, and hopefully now we can get a benefit from it.”
As the dust settles on a demanding triple-header, Antonelli heads into the North American leg of the calendar with renewed determination. While his results have not matched the potential seen in glimpses, the focus now is firmly on putting all the pieces together in Montreal.
