Antonelli reveals dream scenario amid promising Mercedes verdict

Kimi Antonelli has revealed his hopes for a 2014-style introduction to the new Formula 1 regulations, which would be the “dream” scenario for him.

Mercedes flew out of the blocks in Formula 1’s move to the turbo hybrid era that season, with Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg making it a one-team fight for the title in each of the next three seasons.

Antonelli: 2014-style Mercedes introduction would be ‘the dream’

Formula 1’s regulations have been completely reset for 2026, with chassis and power unit rules changing at the same time.

With the playing field as level as can be at the beginning of the development race, and engine development unfrozen, power units are predicted to play a significant part in car performance, along with the chassis.

Testing will provide the first indicator of how the field may stack up heading into the Australian Grand Prix, but Antonelli, heading into his sophomore season in Formula 1, admitted his team getting the jump on the rest of the field would be the ideal scenario for him.

“I mean, hopefully it would be like 2014 – will be the dream,” Antonelli told PlanetF1.com and others.

“But you never know. I think these are even bigger regulation changes than 2014 because, also on the chassis side, aerodynamic side, everything is changing – but I have full trust in Mercedes, in the work they’ve been doing.

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“I’ve been spending quite a lot of time at the factory, seeing the progress in the wind tunnel, also going to HPP [High Performance Powertrains], seeing the progress on the dyno.

“So definitely, it looks promising, but we don’t know what the others are doing, and I think the most important [thing], when we go for the first test in Barcelona, [is] having a reliable car, being able to put the laps in, and then make the most learning.

“Then, about the real performance, I guess we will see in Melbourne. But of course, looking at what they did in the past, I will love… I mean, it would be a dream to get the same scenario and being able to fight for a World Championship.”

There is strong uncertainty ahead of the 2026 campaign, with nobody knowing exactly how each team matches up to others at this stage.

With the first Barcelona test set to start later this month, team principal Toto Wolff acknowledged there is little time in the interlude between seasons.

Speaking about the team’s power unit project, he replied: “It’s super difficult to predict, because we set ourselves targets that we are on track to meet.

“But whether those targets were set ambitious enough, and whether those targets have been set in the right place in terms of priorities, the future will show. This is not far away.”

Additional reporting by Mat Coch and Thomas Maher

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