Antonelli remorseful, Verstappen dismissive after opening lap crash

Andrea Kimi Antonelli has apologised to his team and Max Verstappen for his opening lap collision with the Dutchman, resulting in retirements for the pair.

Both drivers endured a difficult Qualifying session on Saturday, with Verstappen starting only a couple of positions ahead of Antonelli in seventh and ninth respectively.

As expected, they were keen to make up positions in the opening stages of the 70-lap race and score a good haul of points for themselves and their teams.

Unfortunately, they couldn't make it through the very first lap of the Grand Prix as Antonelli locked up into Turn 3, spearing into the rear-right tyre of Verstappen and causing irreparable damage for both.

Antonelli Accepts The Blame

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after his race-ending crash, Antonelli explained what exactly caused him to lose control of his Mercedes W16 and clatter into the back of Verstappen's Red Bull.

He said: "I didn’t necessarily brake too late, it’s just that when I braked hard behind other cars, I locked the rears.

"I couldn’t stop the car; I locked the rear, lost the car, had to avoid Lawson, and by then it was too late. I started to lock the front, and instead of slowing, I was actually gaining speed. The crash was inevitable," added the rookie Italian.

Antonelli was understandably incredibly disappointed by his antics on the Red Bull Ring, and immediately apologised to Verstappen on track. He reiterated this to media in the paddock, and extended his apologies to his team as well.

He continued: "Just feel super sorry to the team, and to Max of course, because obviously he was just a passenger.

"Of course, it’s a big mistake. Now we need to move forward and focus on Silverstone. We’ll see if we get a penalty or not, but it’s going to be important to get back and start doing like I did in Canada," Antonelli concluded.

Verstappen Unbothered

Red Bull were unlikely to challenge for a podium result in Austria, let alone a Grand Prix victory due to a distinct lack of pace. Therefore, Verstappen didn't seem too bothered by the unfortunate lap one incident which saw him out of the race.

He told Sky Sports F1: "It’s just unlucky, like yesterday in qualifying.

"But overall, we didn’t really have that great pace anyway this weekend, so a lot of learning for us how we can hopefully do better next weekend. But of course, not an ideal result today," stated the four-time World Champion.

With McLaren securing maximum points in Austria thanks to a one-two finish, Verstappen has fallen over 60 points behind current Standings' leader Oscar Piastri.

• Read Also: Austrian GP: Norris fends off Piastri in Red Bull Ring thriller

On his prospects for a fifth consecutive Drivers' Title, Verstappen was dismissive.

He said: "We try to do our best, always. My mentality doesn’t change. We’ve won a lot in the past.

"Sometimes you have to accept that you are not winning, and we just try to do the best that we can.

“Hopefully then people will not mention it too much anymore,” concluded the defending Champion.

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