Antonelli: “I tried 100-150 starts on the simulator, my forearm hurt”

Kimi worked on his weak point Andrea Kimi Antonelli 12 months ago in Miami demonstrated that Toto Wolff and Mercedes had seen very long in the talent of the Italian driver. Antonelli, in fact, took pole position in the Sprint Qualifying on an unknown track. The Sprint Race was not lucky for Antonelli, the Mercedes driver didn’t get off to a bad start, but Piastri was aggressive taking first position in Turn-1. The starts, especially at the beginning of 2026, were a weak point for Antonelli who during the break focused on this fundamental in the hope of avoiding other slow-motion starts. “Starts? I must have done 100-150 on the simulator, to the point that my forearm hurt – said Antonelli interviewed by Il Corriere della Sera – we have also prepared some changes to the clutch lever, I think they will be available from Canada, we have gone to the bottom of the starting problem. The changes will help me a lot, but in the meantime for this weekend we have thought of a compromise that can help me start better”.

Automobile Magazine – F1 English News
2026-05-01 16:30:00