Red Bull F1 chief reveals shock Kimi Antonelli talks

Red Bull F1 chief Helmut Marko has revealed that he has spoken to Italian youngster Kimi Antonelli amid his current Mercedes woes.

Despite an impressive start to his F1 season, where he claimed his first pole position and podium, Antonelli has experienced a disappointing run of form lately.

However, the Silver Arrows star has received some advice from a senior figure outside of his team, with Red Bull chief Marko revealing the pair had talks after his poor performance at Spa.

Speaking to F1 Insider, Marko discussed the pressure placed on young drivers within his own team, and compared the situation to Antonelli at Mercedes.

"When we bring juniors into Formula 1, they first drive for Racing Bulls, where they are not exposed to such immense pressure or the pressure of Formula 1 in general, and we don't make such a big deal about a young driver before he sits in a Formula 1 car," the Austrian said.

When asked about what he made of Antonelli's recent dip in form, Marko continued: "I mean, they [Mercedes] don't have a junior team. Sure. I don't want to comment on how things work with other teams.

"Antonelli is certainly a very fast driver, but also very young, and strangely enough, we spoke briefly at the hotel in Spa, and he said that he doesn't have confidence in the car and as soon as he pushes, he loses control.

"So, it's more a mental thing, and apparently the car is also very critical in the working window, similar to ours, and when it works, then it's much more toxic."

The Red Bull F1 advisor then appeared to praise Antonelli's potential however, adding: "Thankfully Mercedes doesn't have the luxury of having a second team."

Can Antonelli recover his lost form?

Antonelli has only managed to score one point in the past four races and caused a huge crash with Max Verstappen at the Austrian Grand Prix, before making a double Q1 exit at Spa, struggling similarly in qualifying at the Hungaroring.

The disappearance in pace is difficult for the youngster, with Lewis Hamilton reportedly consoling a teary-eyed Antonelli after his mistake at the Belgian GP. The 18-year-old is out of contract with Mercedes at the end of 2025, with no official decision yet being made on his future with the team.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has previously stated that he wants to keep his current driver pairing of Antonelli and George Russell for 2026, and it looks likely the pair will remain at the team next season.

Verstappen has ruled out a switch to Mercedes in 2026, and announced to the media at the Hungarian GP that he will remain with Red Bull next season, offering some hope that Antonelli will retain his seat in F1 for at least another campaign.

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