Kimi Antonelli Senses Progress with Mercedes Upgrades at US GP

Kimi Antonelli is feeling more confident about Mercedes' performance, thanks to the improved understanding of their latest upgrade package at the Circuit of The Americas. The Italian driver noted that they are "taking steps forward" at the United States Grand Prix.

Mercedes introduced these upgrades earlier in Malaysia, aiming to reclaim the performance edge they enjoyed at the season's start. However, the results were underwhelming, prompting a temporary return to older specifications for George Russell in Singapore. Now, both Antonelli and Russell are on the same W17 setup, which appears to be paying off. Antonelli's jump from fifth to second position across the first two practice sessions in Austin suggests a more comfortable fit with the updates.

"Having both cars on the same upgrade package allows us to try various adjustments and better understand this package," Antonelli explained. "After the week off following Singapore, we could analyze the data to figure out what adjustments this package requires."

Despite the improvements, Antonelli admitted there are still challenges. "We're still figuring out how to optimize the car's performance. We've made progress, but there's room for more," he said.

The practice session wasn't without its hiccups. Antonelli described the initial laps as feeling like a "rollercoaster" due to a poorly secured seat. Nevertheless, he managed to recover well and noted a better feeling in the car compared to the first practice session. He ended just 0.042 seconds behind Charles Leclerc, boosting his confidence for a strong showing this weekend—a performance that could secure him the Drivers' Championship if other results fall in his favor.

However, Deputy Team Principal Bradley Lord remains realistic about the championship prospects. "For Kimi to win this weekend, it would mean George has had a poor race, which isn't our goal," Lord stated. "While theoretically possible, this isn't the decisive weekend. Our focus is on collecting as many points as possible and waiting until the numbers work more in our favor."

According to Lord, the competition remains fierce among the top teams. "The differences between Leclerc, Verstappen, Kimi, and Norris are minimal. It's going to be a tight battle among all eight cars, both across multiple laps and single laps."

So, as the weekend unfolds, Antonelli and Mercedes are cautiously optimistic about their progress. The team is keen to see if the steps forward with the upgrades can translate into tangible results on race day.