F1 News: Mercedes resets suspension after Antonelli’s Spa tears

(GMM) Mercedes has made a major technical reset ahead of the Hungarian GP, reverting to its previous rear suspension layout following a string of underwhelming results and rising pressure on teenage rookie Kimi Antonelli (pictured).

The 18-year-old Italian, who replaced Lewis Hamilton this season, broke down emotionally amid a woeful weekend at Spa. In the days since, the team has moved to shield Antonelli by admitting its recent suspension direction was a misstep.

“Since we went on the new suspension, the car was a bit trickier to drive,” Antonelli explained in Budapest. “Especially on high-speed corners. Also, because of my driving style, I was making the car even more unpredictable, and that killed a bit my confidence.”

“I struggled to adapt. George (Russell), with his experience, adapted much quicker. But hopefully, going back to the old suspension will bring back that feeling I had before the European season.”

Auto Motor und Sport reported that Mercedes had followed a pitlane trend by modifying the car’s anti-lift behavior at the rear – similar to Red Bull, McLaren, and Ferrari. However, the FIA clampdown on flexi wings may have added further complications.

Mercedes engineering boss Andrew Shovlin explained: “We retrofitted and had to live with what we had. The gearbox housing is a carryover from 2024 – there aren’t unlimited points to attach suspension elements.”

Russell, clearly the quicker of the Mercedes duo in 2025, said: “We’ve taken a step back. When you look at our performance collectively, we’ve both gone backwards.”

Still, Antonelli is also trying to reset mentally amid skyrocketing pressure and attention. “I did fun activities like driving my remote control car,” he said, describing his few days rest since Spa.

“Now I feel happy. I’m ready to give my best before the summer break.”