Why Antonelli’s P6 earned China’s Driver of the Day fan vote

Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli surprised many pundits and fans alike by clinching the Formula 1 ‘Driver of the Day’ poll after Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix, despite a seemingly underwhelming run to a distant P8 on the road.

Social media’s plaudits Initially drew skepticism – yet beneath the surface, the teenager’s drive revealed an effort that belied the raw data, earning him praise from his team.

Antonelli’s race was marred by floor damage, likely from debris scattered during Charles Leclerc’s first-lap clash with Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton. The issue transformed his W16’s handling, but Mercedes opted to withhold the full story from him mid-race.

Post-race disqualifications of both Ferraris – Leclerc’s car underweight, Hamilton’s plank illegally worn – elevated Antonelli to sixth in the final standings, adding context to his poll triumph.

Wolff Praises Antonelli’s Grit

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff shed light on the rookie’s hidden struggle.

“He had extensive floor damage,” Wolff revealed in his post-race press conference. “We don’t know exactly why, whether he ran over Charles’s endplate, but there was a massive hole in the floor, the titanium streaks [skid plates] were gone.”

©Mercedes

The damage drastically altered the car’s aerodynamics. Wolff lauded Antonelli’s composure amid adversity.

“Considering he had a car which was severely impaired – holding on to it, finishing eighth, not complaining, just getting on with the job, shows the maturity and the potential he has,” he said.

The 19-year-old’s ability to soldier on without protest indeed underscored a maturity that swayed voters, despite his mid-pack finish.

Antonelli’s Battle with the Unknown

Antonelli himself sensed his car’s odd behavior from the outset.

“I could feel something was weird from lap one,” he told Sky Sports F1. “Yesterday the limitation was the front left, today the limitation was the rear for the whole race – which was quite unusual, I found it really weird.”

Shanghai’s front-heavy layout, with its punishing opening corners and long back straight, typically stresses the front axle. A rear-limited car, as Antonelli’s became, struggled exiting turns and under traction, costing lap time.

“It was really hard to keep up, I was trying to look after the rears as much as possible,” he admitted. “Mentally it was a good experience, a good lesson, because it was tough.”

Despite being undercut by Yuki Tsunoda and overtaken by Esteban Ocon, he regained a spot when Tsunoda pitted late for a new wing, ultimately settling into 8th position, nearly four seconds behind Ocon.

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