Antonelli “ready to be back on track” for the 2025 Canadian GP

Ahead of the 2025 F1 Canadian GP, Kimi Antonelli discussed the problems he faced during the European triple-header. The Mercedes rookie highlighted his troubles with thenew C6 tyre, which returns in Canada, and could threaten his pursuit of consistency and stronger results.

European triple-header “quite tough” for Antonelli

Antonelli endured a demanding stretch across Imola, Monaco, and Barcelona. His results fell below expectations, compounded by technical setbacks and performance inconsistencies. Reflecting on that run of races, he admitted the triple-header had been difficult.

“Well, I mean, it’s been quite a tough triple header on my side, especially because performance-wise I didn’t do that well, and then we had also a couple of issues.”

The pressure ramped up at the 2025 F1 Imola GP, where a packed schedule and the weight of performing in front of a home crowd tested his composure. Antonelli struggled to stay on top of the chaos, saying he “didn’t manage things the best way.” Despite the setbacks, he took away key lessons, especially on handling busier race weekends.

“But overall, I think there’s still been a very big learning on my side, especially on how to manage busier weekends.”

“Imola was incredible in terms of how busy it was and also time in front of the home crowd, and I definitely didn’t manage things the best way.”

“So overall, it’s been quite tough—not the way I wanted. But luckily, after these three difficult weekends, we had a week off and now I feel ready to be back on track tomorrow.”

Inconsistent C6 performance hits Antonelli’s confidence ahead of the 2025 Canadian GP

Antonelli’s main concern across the triple-header centred around the C6 compound. He struggled to unlock consistent performance, especially at Imola and Monaco, where he found the tyre difficult to understand and optimise.

“I think, above all, the new C6—Imola and Monaco—I’ve been struggling to find the consistency in the tyre, just to find the consistent performance of the tyre.”

He described the compound as “super picky”, requiring precision from the first lap. This sensitivity caused dramatic performance swings, particularly in Imola, where he showed strong pace in practice but lost several tenths in Qualifying.

“The C6 seems to be a super picky tyre, and it’s really difficult to put it in the right window already from the out lap. That’s what I’ve been struggling with.”

“In Imola, I was having such a swing of performances between sessions. In FP3 in Imola, I remember we were up there, and then in qualifying I suddenly lost five or six tenths compared to FP3.”

“So I’ve been really struggling to understand the tyre and to put it in the right window, and that took some confidence away.”

Barcelona as a reset for Antonelli

Following difficult races in Imola and Monaco, Antonelli approached Barcelona looking for a mental and technical reset. While he showed signs of recovery, he admitted that settling into rhythm remained a challenge.

“That’s why I feel in Barcelona, it was nice to get back into the rhythm. But at the same time, especially at the start of the session, it took me too long to get into the rhythm.”

He pointed to his recent qualifying form as the underlying issue, with both previous sessions in Imola and Monaco impacting his mindset and approach.

“That was also because I had two really difficult Qualifying sessions in the previous two events. So definitely, I think that was the main issue.”

Antonelli refines approach with C6 focus ahead of the 2025 F1 Canadian GP

The week off between races allowed Antonelli to regroup and work at the Mercedes factory. He focused specifically on tyre performance, aiming to better understand the C6 and prepare for its reappearance in Montreal.

“During the week we had off, I spent a couple of days at the factory doing some sim work and also trying to analyse the C6—analyse when it went well, why I was able to extract the performance, and when it went badly, what I did differently. I’ve been understanding quite a few things.”

Anticipating a new set of challenges in Canada, including colder temperatures, tight corners, and a different track surface, Antonelli fine-tuned his preparation to handle the tyre more effectively.

“Obviously, Montreal is a completely different track—close tarmac, a lot of low speed, and also quite cold eventually.”

“So I’ve been trying to really work on that in order to have a better idea, so I know how to behave better, especially this weekend.”