Ralf Schumacher explains the ‘problem’ Mercedes have created for Kimi Antonelli this season

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Andrea Kimi Antonelli will be the first Italian driver to race at Monza in Formula 1 since Antonio Giovinazzi in 2021.

That season, Giovinazzi finished 13th at the Italian Grand Prix, with home fans having to settle for cheering for Ferrari’s drivers regardless of their nationality.

Charles Leclerc is a local hero after his two victories for Ferrari at Monza, and Lewis Hamilton will hope to enjoy the same reception on his first visit to the track representing the local team.

But for the first time in years, Andrea Kimi Antonelli might drag some of the attention away from Ferrari when he races for Mercedes at the circuit for the first time.

Antonelli’s first outing at Monza in an F1 car lasted just two laps before he crashed into the barriers at the Parabolica.

Monza witnessed a 52G crash when Antonelli went off, but the 19-year-old is far more experienced in an F1 car now, even if his recent form has been inconsistent to say the least.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has backed Antonelli, but Ralf Schumacher has been examining his rookie season more closely and thinks the Silver Arrows have created a problem for the teenager that’s harmed his maiden F1 campaign.

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Ralf Schumacher thinks Mercedes have overhyped Kimi Antonelli this season

Schumacher was speaking on the Backstage Boxengasse Podcast after the Dutch Grand Prix, and the topic of Jacques Villeneuve’s criticism of Antonelli arose.

He gave his take on the situation and said: “Yes, the problem is, of course, that Kimi Antonelli was hyped from the beginning.

“He was already the new superstar before anyone had even seen him drive in Formula 1, at least officially.

“I think the expectations are therefore very high, and when a team like Mercedes, Toto Wolff, and I know Ola Kallenius were all saying exactly the same thing, we absolutely want him and that is our future, then of course the expectations are high.

“I think you can see that in the example of Hamilton, too. No matter what you’ve done, no matter how experienced you are, the situation these days is you have no testing.

“So, you have to adapt to the conditions from race to race. We must not forget that Mercedes have still been going in the wrong direction with their car as well.

“Jacques is right in some respects, Kimi is certainly, he calls him a learner, so there is no one who came in F1, saw and conquered.

“He needs time to prepare, he approaches things systematically, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”

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Ralf Schumacher worried Mercedes are ‘internally’ disappointed with Kimi Antonelli

Schumacher then addressed Antonelli’s response to his crash with Charles Leclerc and Zandvoort and continued: “We saw that on Sunday, he comes out, talks to Toto, and then he went to Ferrari and immediately apologised to Leclerc.

“He did the same thing with Max [in Austria], I mean, we’ve all made these mistakes, to be honest.

“But in some ways you could say he’s a bit disappointing. I think that internally at Mercedes, I would say, they might have hoped for a little bit more.

“Nevertheless, some successes prove he’s on the right track, and now you just have to be patient.”

Antonelli is now level on points with Williams driver Alex Albon in the drivers’ championship, and has fallen 120 points behind teammate George Russell.

There was always going to be a disparity between the two drivers, and at the beginning of the campaign, it didn’t look as if the gap was that large.

However, as the season’s gone on, Antonelli has been prone to making more mistakes in a difficult-to-drive car, and he needs to use the next nine race weekends to reset before a very important 2026 campaign.