Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes ‘replacement’ Kimi Antonelli span off and crashed just 10 minutes into his Formula 1 weekend debut at the Italian Grand Prix.
On Friday afternoon, the teenager took to the track at Monza in George Russell’s updated W15 Mercedes, being given the chance to show what he could do during FP1 at Monza. However, after displaying some good initial speed, the Italian lost control of his car after going through Parabolica.
Antonelli, who has been tipped to potentially replace Lewis Hamilton, who is set to join Ferrari, slid off the track and through the gravel before slamming into the barriers. Thankfully, the Mercedes driver who races in F2, escaped unharmed.
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“Sorry,” said a sheepish Antonelli on the team radio. Thankfully for the teenage racer, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff was on hand to offer up some reassurance for the young driver.
“Kimi all good, all good Kimi,” Wolff said. And Mercedes chief communications officer Bradley Lord described the incident involving Antonelli as “all part of the learning curve” for the young driver.
What did you make of Kimi Antonelli’s crash? Let us know in the comments section below.
(Image: Getty)
“We’re literally just getting the car back as we speak. It was a pretty hefty impact at high-speed corner,” Lord told Sky Sports.
“Kimi’s still down at the medical centre just being checked out making sure everything’s ok. We’ll assess the car and hopefully have it turned around for FP2. It’s unfortunate it ended the way it did.
“But he was on the limit, pushing the limit from lap one, that’s always good to see and it’s all part of the learning curve.”
Antonelli was later released from the medical centre and returned to the Mercedes garage.