Kimi Antonelli addresses crucial Mercedes 'weak point'

Kimi Antonelli has conceded that race starts are a "weak point" for Mercedes following F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain.

Heading into the curtain raiser in Melbourne, race starts are a focal point of intrigue and concern, with multiple drivers struggling to get to grips with the altered procedure.

With the MGU-H — which used to hold the turbo at the speed needed for launch from the line — being stripped from the power unit under the new regulations, drivers must now manually spool their turbos up to speed when they reach the grid.

This process can take up to 10 seconds and is considerably more involved and difficult than last year, contributing to numerous drivers suffering poor or stalled getaways during the first week of testing in Sakhir.

The FIA was previously unfazed by the potential safety issues — which led to Ferrari producing a smaller turbo to combat the problem after it raised the risk to the motorsport governing body a year ago — but it softened its stance and tested a revised start sequence in the second week at the Bahrain International Circuit.

That amendment, which is expected to be implemented, has gone some way to allay fears and reduce the chance of a start-line collision, but according to Antonelli, there is still a lot of work to do for Mercedes to reach the level of the Scuderia's impressive launches.

The Italian driver was unable to complete a practice start from the grid on the final day of running at the Bahrain International Circuit after his W17 suffered a loss of pneumatic pressure, necessitating a power unit change.

However, he was able to perform a start from the end of the pit lane during the two hours of track time he had before problems struck.

"The Ferrari power unit looked very strong on starts, but... we made a lot of changes, and at the end of the pit lane, the start felt a lot stronger," he told media, including RacingNews365, when reflecting on testing.

"Obviously, we couldn't test it properly on the grid, but it's been a bit of a weak point for us, to be fair. 

"It's very complicated with the procedure, and we just need to get it right, really. But, yeah, there's a lot of work to do, but I think on Friday we made a good step forward."

Antonelli's team-mate, George Russell, has also been vocal about the issue, pointing out that whatever advantage Mercedes currently has will all be for nought if it cannot beat the Ferraris into the first corner.

The five-time grand prix winner claimed that his two practice starts during the final week of testing were worse than anything he has experienced during a race in F1.

Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri, who also has a Mercedes power unit in the back of his McLaren, was less concerned by the situation, arguing that he had enjoyed decent starts and that the issue appears to be "very random" at this stage.

However, the Australian did also warn that "there are some pretty big pitfalls you can find if you get yourself in trouble."