The Mercedes garage was a picture of frustration after Friday’s practice at the Circuit of the Americas. Telemetry showed a car struggling to find grip, drivers labeling the balance as “rubbish” and the freshly-installed aerodynamic upgrade appearing to be a misstep. In the midst of that gloom, 19-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli entered Sunday’s race with a completely different narrative, climbing onto the top step of the podium and extending his world-championship lead.
Friday practice – a rough start for Mercedes
Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin admitted the team entered the weekend with little hope of a win. “After Friday, a race victory simply didn’t look achievable given our single-lap and long-run pace,” he said, recalling the “tractor-like” feeling of the W17. George Russell was blunt, calling the car “rubbish” after finishing down the order, while the data confirmed the new upgrade narrowed the set-up window. Shovlin explained, “There were encouraging signs with the car pace, although since the update it does feel like the set-up window has become a little harder to hit.” The combination of balance issues and a track-limits penalty for Russell set the stage for a challenging Sunday.
Sunday race – Antonelli’s surprise victory
When the lights went out on Sunday, Antonelli immediately showed why his recent performances had turned heads. By managing tyre wear on the notoriously bumpy Austin surface, he secured a one-stop strategy that the team executed flawlessly under pressure. Shovlin praised the crew, noting, “Operationally, the team did a very good job. The strategy decisions weren’t clear-cut, but we held our nerve, made the right call to stick with the one-stop, and the pitstops were solid.” Russell, hampered by a track-limits penalty on the opening lap and later stuck behind Oscar Piastri, could not recover. Meanwhile, Antonelli celebrated on the podium, spraying champagne as Shovlin summed up the weekend: “Most of all, Kimi should be incredibly pleased with his performances. It was a difficult Friday, but what he produced in qualifying and the race today was exceptional.”
Other teams’ pace at Austin
While Mercedes fought its own battle, the rest of the field posted impressive numbers. Charles Leclerc topped both practice sessions for Ferrari with a 1:35.291 lap, stating the car felt “quite good” and the upgrades worked as expected. Lewis Hamilton struggled with bumps, finishing P6 in FP1 (1:36.555) and improving to P4 in FP2 (1:35.906), noting he was uncomfortable over the undulations. Max Verstappen began FP1 on top before a track-limits excursion dropped him to P2 (1:35.860); he reclaimed a strong position in FP2 with a 1:35.480 lap and described the circuit as “never easy”. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris fought for midfield, with Piastri ending FP2 in P8 (1:36.029) and Norris in P7 (1:36.373). Their comments highlighted the difficulty of finding a consistent working window on the bumpy asphalt. Across the board, teams spoke about the need to balance tyre degradation, low-speed grip and high-speed stability – a challenge that ultimately made Antonelli’s victory all the more remarkable.
