Kimi Antonelli Rebounds After Major Mercedes Changes

Kimi Antonelli has confirmed that Mercedes made major changes to the W17 that helped him recover from a difficult FP1 and set the fastest time in second practice for the Belgian Grand Prix.

The championship leader finished more than half a second behind Max Verstappen in the opening session at Spa-Francorchamps. Mercedes then changed the car’s configuration before FP2, producing a significant improvement that moved Antonelli to the top of the timesheets.

The changes made the W17 feel considerably better. Only Lando Norris managed to finish within two tenths of Antonelli’s time, demonstrating a clear step forward compared with Mercedes’ performance at the start of the day.

Read AlsoPierre Gasly Reveals Cause of Heavy Spa Crash

“We made big changes to the car, and it was a lot better. So that’s a good direction,” Antonelli said.

Despite leading FP2, Antonelli believes Mercedes still has work to complete. The 19-year-old also acknowledged that he must continue refining his own driving before the decisive sessions.

Antonelli’s main target is a sixth victory of the season after leaving Silverstone without scoring any points. That result was painful because he remained the championship leader but missed an opportunity to extend his advantage in the title fight.

“Silverstone was a great weekend, but I came away with no points, which obviously hurt a lot. This weekend is a new challenge, and the goal is still to maximise every session and the final result,” he added.

Antonelli heads into the next sessions with a 25-point advantage over George Russell. His FP2 performance provides a strong platform, but his victory prospects at Spa will depend on Mercedes retaining the W17’s improved balance and maximising every Belgian Grand Prix session.