Mercedes technical director James Allison backs young Kimi Antonelli

Mercedes Formula One team’s technical director James Allison has backed young Kimi Antonelli despite poor form during the 2025 F1 season, international media reported on Wednesday.

After the first 13 races of the current Formula One campaign, Antonelli sits seventh in the drivers' standings with 63 points while his teammate George Russell is fourth with 157 points.

Antonelli’s only podium finish in his last seven races came at the Canadian Grand Prix. Four of these seven races have also ended in retirements.

He also failed in the recent Belgian Grand Prix, which also made him the subject of discussion. The 18-year-old driver was also seemingly emotional while talking to the media.

However, Mercedes’ technical director Allison has come out in his defence, and the Briton has claimed that the team’s lack of competitiveness has also played a role in his failure.

"I think he's, like the rest of us, massively fed up with a string of results that are well below what we were collectively achieving earlier in the year," Allison said.

"I hope he takes some solace from the fact that we tell him, and it's demonstrably a fact, that we have taken the wrong steps with the car, making our team less competitive, and that he is paying the price for that, as is George [Russell]."

Mercedes prodigy Antonelli has also previously reflected on his poor form.

"First of all I don't know what to say. It seems like everything is going wrong at the moment and it's hard to find some positives. I'm not super happy, to be honest. Too many zeros scored,” Antonelli said.