Kimi Antonelli expressed confidence in Mercedes’ efforts to address its recent reliability problems ahead of the 2026 F1 Austrian GP.
The team suffered two battery failures in recent races, raising questions about whether the issues resulted from the cars running in traffic or battling closely on track. Mercedes will introduce an updated ERS pack in Austria as it looks to improve the durability and reliability of the package.
Antonelli also expects the competition at the front to intensify. Ferrari has emerged as Mercedes’ main rival during the opening part of the season, while Red Bull and McLaren continued to close the gap. Now, with several teams potentially fighting for victory at the Red Bull Ring, Antonelli acknowledged that Mercedes might need to approach its internal battles differently.
Mercedes introduces updated ERS package
Antonelli explained that Mercedes has not linked every recent failure directly to temperature. However, the team has continued working to prevent similar problems from happening again. The updated ERS pack will focus on reliability rather than outright performance. Antonelli described it as the first significant update aimed specifically at addressing the recurring issues.
Furthermore, he praised the work taking place behind the scenes and maintained full confidence in Mercedes’ ability to find a solution. Although the team has suffered from the problem more often than it would have liked, he believes the revised package represented an important step forward.
The update could also give Antonelli and teammate George Russell greater confidence when fighting in traffic at the 2026 F1 Austrian GP. Both drivers will need to manage their cars carefully during close battles, but Mercedes hopes the changes remove concerns about a repeat failure during the weekend.
“Yeah, I mean, I think, I don’t think it’s always been related to a temperature issue, but this weekend we have a new ERS pack with updates to improve the durability and reliability of the package. So hopefully, you know, the team has been working super hard because definitely we’ve been suffering from this kind of issue a bit often. But, you know, the team has been pushing so hard, and hopefully, you know, this is the first big update. It’s not really about performance. It’s all about trying to make sure that these issues don’t happen again. But I’m sure that the team is finding the way, and I think this is a good step forward.”
Antonelli trusts Mercedes in development battle
Alongside its reliability work, Mercedes faces an increasingly competitive development race at the front of the grid.
Antonelli remains confident that the team has the resources and working environment required to continue improving throughout the campaign. However, he recognises that Ferrari has established itself as Mercedes’ closest rival since the beginning of the season. He also expects Red Bull to make progress with a significant upgrade package in Austria, while McLaren has continued to move closer to the leading teams.
“Yeah, I have full trust in the team. They’re pushing incredibly hard, and there’s a really good dynamic. Of course, Ferrari, I think, since the start of the season, they’ve been our main competitors. But, of course, Red Bull is going to be very quick this weekend. They’re bringing a big package. McLaren is getting closer, but Ferrari is definitely strong, is there, and, you know, they have a great line-up. Lewis [Hamilton] has been in great form so far, so definitely it’s not going to be a walk in the park.”
Mercedes must maximise every opportunity
Antonelli believes the competitive order could continue to change depending on the circuit. Ferrari showed particularly strong pace during the Barcelona weekend, while McLaren emerged as a leading threat in Miami. Those fluctuations left Mercedes with little room for error as it attempted to maintain its position at the front.
Antonelli acknowledged that some circuits could suit Mercedes more than others. He therefore stressed the importance of extracting the maximum result whenever the team had a competitive car.
“You know, we still need to really do our best, maximise everything, because, you know, there will be racetracks where others might be quicker. You know, look at Barcelona. I think where the pace was very similar, then at the end Ferrari was incredibly quick, or Miami, and McLaren was up there, very quick. So I think we need to just maximise every opportunity we have because it doesn’t, you know, I think there will be track where we might struggle a bit more and track where we’ll be incredibly quick. So we just need to keep our head down because competitors are very close and they’re very strong.”
Rival threat could influence Mercedes battles
The improving pace of Mercedes’ rivals could also affect how Antonelli and George Russell race each other. Antonelli, Russell and team principal Toto Wolff had discussed driving etiquette as Hamilton moved closer in the championship fight. Antonelli admitted that managing his emotions while fighting for a victory would not be easy, particularly when racing his teammate.
However, he understands that Mercedes now has to consider the threat posed by the cars behind rather than viewing every battle as a contest between its own drivers.
“Yeah, for sure, it’s not going to be easy because, obviously, in the race, the emotions are running very high, and, in the moment, you’re just thinking about doing your best and trying to win the race.
“Of course, from now on, it’s going to be important to race even more wisely because it’s not just about me and George [Russell] anymore, but the others are coming. So I think this weekend is going to be a weekend where I think all the top four teams will be super close because Ferrari is bringing a new engine, a bit more powerful engine.”
Antonelli prepared to adapt his approach at 2026 Austrian GP
Antonelli expects Red Bull’s upgrades to provide a significant performance gain, while McLaren’s progress since Miami added another factor for Mercedes to consider.
The Italian suggested that the presence of rival drivers could lead him to take a different approach when racing Russell. His decisions would depend on the competitive picture, including Mercedes’ pace and the drivers’ positions on the grid.
“Red Bull is bringing big, big upgrades, which should give them a lot of performance, and also McLaren, they’ve been there ever since Miami. So I think it’s, yeah, definitely the way I’m going to go racing is maybe a little bit different.
“Also, it depends a lot on the scenario. If there are other drivers that are close, other competitors that are very close, then probably I will race in a different way than if it was just me and George racing. It will all depend on the pace, how fast we are, and where we are on the grid.”
