Kimi Antonelli’s summer break took an unexpected turn when the Mercedes driver ran out of fuel on his jet ski and had to be rescued by friends. A video posted on TikTok by one of his pals showed the Italian teenager being towed back to shore, captioned: “POV: giving Kimi Antonelli a ride because he ran out of fuel.”
The incident comes as Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff was also making headlines during the break, pictured on a yacht with Max Verstappen off the coast of Sardinia. The reigning world champion has been linked with a move to Mercedes, though he reiterated before the Hungarian Grand Prix that he will stay with Red Bull in 2026. However, a switch could still materialise if the Milton Keynes squad struggles with new technical regulations.
With Verstappen on Wolff’s radar and George Russell enjoying an exceptional season, Antonelli’s position in the Mercedes organisation is uncertain. The 18-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season, and while a new deal is expected, multi-year terms are unlikely without an improvement in results.
Antonelli started his rookie campaign strongly, with four top-six finishes in the first six races, but has struggled since Imola, managing only one top-nine finish in his last eight outings. His goal now is to match team-mate Russell’s performance. “My goal has to be to drive the same times as him,” said Antonelli. “George is having an extremely strong season. If I were at his level at the end of the year, that would be an honour.”
