Mercedes delivers F1 engine fixes in Austria after Antonelli’s Barcelona GP retirement

Kimi Antonelli has detailed what caused his Barcelona Grand Prix retirement and that Mercedes is set to introduce measures to solve its Formula 1 power unit unreliability from the Austrian GP.

During an Italian media interview at the Red Bull Ring, Antonelli confirmed that he will run a new power unit paired with an updated battery pack featuring several corrective measures made by Mercedes following its recent breakdowns – something team boss Toto Wolff said the team must fix if it wants to fight for the world titles.

“The issues had actually surfaced some time ago,” Antonelli explained. “I already had some trouble in FP1 in Miami, and then came George’s retirement in Montreal. We’ve left quite a few points on the table.”

Antonelli explained the issue that ended his Barcelona race three laps from the finish wasn’t strictly temperature‑related: “It’s true that a component suddenly experienced a sharp temperature spike, which caused the battery to glitch.

“But in Canada the conditions were completely different, much cooler.”

Mercedes has introduced a series of software updates and minor hardware tweaks to the battery pack, but as Antonelli pointed out, these are routine reliability measures and have no connection to the ADUO.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, George Russell, Mercedes

Photo by: Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images

Mercedes drivers will only fight if rivals are behind

Among the other topics discussed in Mercedes’ post-Barcelona debrief was strategy. Within the paddock some questioned whether Mercedes made a strategy error not opting for a three‑stop race like Ferrari did with winner Lewis Hamilton.

“Technically, going for three pitstops would have been possible. But in our simulations, the two‑stop strategy still came out slightly faster. We also have to remember that these calculations assume we’re always running in clean air. In the race itself, there are far more variables to take into account," Antonelli explained.

It was a different story, however, to the point raised by Wolff immediately after the chequered flag in Barcelona. The Mercedes team principal noted that the time lost in the direct wheel‑to‑wheel fight between Russell and Antonelli had been far from ideal for the team.

“There was a meeting on the matter, and Toto was very clear,” he said.

“If we find ourselves in a situation like Barcelona again, under pressure from our rivals, there will be a team order, especially if one of the two cars is showing better pace. If, on the other hand, we’re fighting each other without pressure from another team, we’ll be free to race, just as we were in Montreal.”

With four rounds in five weeks coming up, it marks a crucial stretch of the season before the summer break.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images

“I think these are all tracks where our car should adapt well,” Antonelli concluded. “So far, we’ve mainly struggled on circuits with older asphalt and low grip. From that point of view, the Red Bull Ring should be more favourable than Barcelona, even though we’re expecting very high temperatures.

“It’s a very demanding track for the car, from the brakes to the engine, especially since the altitude reduces the amount of available oxygen. In that sense as well, having a fresh power unit is definitely good news.”