Andrea Kimi Antonelli took responsibility for a couple of significant errors following the Singapore Grand Prix, although he still managed to secure a second successive top-five placing in Formula 1.
Despite never having previously raced on the Marina Bay Street Circuit, Antonelli immediately demonstrated good speed, achieving fifth and third positions in Q1 and Q2 respectively, each time with a gap of one-tenth to Mercedes teammate George Russell.
However, while Russell proceeded to claim pole position, Antonelli ultimately finished fourth in Q3, trailing by 0.379s.
“For sure, the tempo has been good, qualifying has been improving,” Antonelli stated after the race, having qualified either ahead of or within two-tenths of Russell in the previous three events.
“I felt a bit let down by yesterday because it felt like I was pushing too hard. Had I exercised a bit more restraint and focused on completing clean laps, the outcome might have been different. I would have started further up the grid, and the race might have unfolded differently.”
Starting from the less favorable side of the second row, Antonelli allowed Norris to squeeze him onto a narrow inside line before the first corner, while Charles Leclerc overtook around the outside. The rookie subsequently spent a considerable portion of the race observing the Ferrari’s rear wing.
Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, George Russell, Mercedes
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
“My error at the first turn was attempting to defend against Norris,” Antonelli acknowledged. “I ended up too far inside, and Leclerc gained a significant advantage on the outside. It was unfortunate, but the race pace was really encouraging. That’s a positive aspect, and we will aim to carry that momentum into the upcoming races.”
Antonelli eventually overtook Leclerc, executing a pass on the inside at Turn 16 on lap 53.
“His tires began to degrade,” the Italian explained. “He was pushing hard, so I focused on the long term, preserving my tires and seeking the optimal moment to attack.
“As we approached the lapped cars, I felt it was the opportune moment because he was in clean air, while I was in turbulent air, yet I managed to stay close.
“I anticipated that he would also struggle once he encountered turbulent air. Therefore, the timing was favorable.” Despite the well-timed maneuver, it was too late to realistically aim for a better result, as he finished 33.7s behind his winning teammate and 25.5s adrift of fourth-placed Oscar Piastri.
Antonelli has accumulated 22 points in the most recent two grand prix events – surpassing his total from the preceding ten rounds combined (18) – with his pass on Leclerc earning commendation from Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images
“Kimi often tends to focus on the negatives,” Wolff observed. “He will likely focus on a Q3 session that didn’t go as planned, which could have placed him on the front row, and a less-than-ideal start at Turn 1. That’s his typically candid assessment after the race. He views it more as a lost opportunity for a front-row start than a P5 finish that was achieved.
“However, it was a solid performance overall, and the move on Leclerc was executed decisively. While the cameras missed it, we observed a significant braking event on the telemetry, with so much pressure in the system that it began to oscillate. That was encouraging and provides some solace after other aspects of the race.”
Additional reporting by Cihangir Perperik and Sam Shephard
