Why Mercedes didn’t expect “Monza 2.0” from Kimi Antonelli in Baku

Kimi Antonelli's performance in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix was not as impressive as his previous race at Monza, where he won from 19th on the grid. Mercedes deputy team principal Bradley Lord stated that Antonelli's recovery drive to finish fifth was commendable, especially after starting from 16th due to a qualifying crash and losing valuable practice time due to a technical issue.

Despite finishing fifth, Antonelli struggled to match the pace of his teammate George Russell, being significantly slower in key moments of the race. Lord noted that the different challenges of the Baku circuit compared to Monza meant expectations should be adjusted, and Antonelli's cautious approach after his qualifying troubles was a wise decision.