Andrea Kimi Antonelli has admitted that a repeat of the 2014 Formula 1 season, in which Mercedes dominated a new era of regulations, would be “the dream” for the Italian.
The teenage rookie ended the season in bright form, finishing seventh, just six points behind his predecessor at the German marque, Lewis Hamilton.
Antonelli suffered during the European leg of the campaign, but recovered to score two podiums in Brazil and Las Vegas respectively, to add to his earlier one in Canada.
The Silverstone-based squad has suffered by its own high standards during the ground-effect era, accumulating only seven wins in that time.
Mercedes had previously dominated the first stage of the V6 hybrid era, winning every Drivers’ Championship bar one between 2014 and 2021, as well as every Constructors’ Championship.
And Antonelli, speaking at the season finale in Abu Dhabi, is wishing for a similar scenario ahead of the new era of 50-50 hybrids in 2026.
“Hopefully, it will be like 2014. That would be the dream!” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“But you never know. I think these are even bigger regulation changes than 2014 because, on the chassis side, aerodynamic side, everything is changing. But I have full trust in Mercedes in the work they’ve been doing.
“I’ve been spending quite a lot of time at the factory, seeing the progress in the wind tunnel, seeing the progress on the dyno. It looks promising, but we don’t know what the others are doing.”
If early speculation is to be believed and the Mercedes powertrain is looking to be one of the most competitive in 2026, Antonelli is well-placed to challenge for his first win, with the team set to place further expectations upon him alongside team-mate George Russell.
READ MORE – George Russell draws Michael Schumacher comparison in vow over F1 2026 title bid
Discussion about this post