Antonelli Leads, But Mercedes Still Struggles | F1 News

Kimi Antonelli surged to top practice in Belgium after a shaky start, but he’s staying grounded—knowing Mercedes still has work to do. The team’s initial setup lacked downforce, making the car “edgy” and hard to drive, but a second-session tweak gave Antonelli pole pace while teammate George Russell, still eighth and 1.2 seconds behind, battled lingering issues. Shovlin downplayed Russell’s struggles as temporary, predicting a stronger showing tomorrow. Antonelli praised the progress but emphasized team and personal growth ahead of qualifying. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/db3ca33c740f90c4