The young racer, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, has articulated the miscalculation that ultimately denied him a fourth-place finish at the Formula 1 event in Qatar, a benefit that instead went to Lando Norris, a contender for the championship title.
Antonelli was hot on the heels of Carlos Sainz, vying for the last available spot on the victory stand, when he momentarily surrendered control of his Mercedes vehicle on the race’s second-to-last stretch. This event allowed Norris to swiftly seize the fourth position, a move that crucially added two points to his score. This situation provoked commentary from Helmut Marko, an advisor to Red Bull, and Gianpiero Lambiase, Max Verstappen’s race engineer, who viewed it as a critique of the Mercedes newcomer.
“With the hard [tyre] I was pushing quite a lot, and eventually I was getting to DRS [behind Sainz],” Antonelli related. “But in [Turn 9] I had a massive moment and almost crashed, so then I went off track and lost the place to Lando, which was very annoying.”
When asked if this issue was due to a personal error or a car malfunction, the Italian prospect responded, “I need to investigate.
“I entered a fraction faster than the preceding lap. It’s clear that in turbulent air, the car’s behaviour becomes less predictable because there’s diminished downforce, causing the tyres to overheat more. I entered a tad quicker and then, without warning, lost control of the rear.”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Photo by: Zak Mauger / LAT Images via Getty Images
“I didn’t foresee that occurrence, and given the considerable speed, I inadvertently left the track. Then, at the subsequent turn, as I was picking up surface debris, I faced another significant instability, resulting in another off-track excursion. I need to delve into the details, but it was a frustrating experience.”
Antonelli further mentioned that under other circumstances, he could have comfortably maintained his lead over Norris, stating that “in turbulent air, he was unable to overtake,” yet admitted that a podium finish was likely out of reach.
“It was quite a hurdle,” he acknowledged. “We were rapidly gaining on Carlos, demonstrating superior speed in the final sector. With just two laps remaining, we were poised to enter DRS range on that lap, presenting a probable opportunity in the final lap. Unfortunately, that didn’t materialize because I went off track, eliminating the chance.”
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– The Autosport.com Team
