Antonelli takes blame for Leclerc clash: ‘I went for it… too much’

Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli has accepted full responsibility for the bold but costly move that ended Charles Leclerc’s Dutch Grand Prix, admitting he will “think twice” before attempting something similar in the future.

The 19-year-old, who had been eyeing an impressive seventh place as the race entered its closing stages, lunged down the inside of Leclerc at Turn 3 just as the Ferrari emerged from the pits on cold tyres.

But the ambitious move ended in disaster, with Antonelli clipping the Monegasque’s rear and sending him spinning into the barriers.

Leclerc’s race was over on the sport, while Antonelli survived with only light damage but was slapped with a 10-second penalty that erased his hopes of points.

An Over-optimistic Maneuver

Speaking to the media after the race, Antonelli admitted that he had misjudged the situation.

“I just saw it [on TV],” he said. “It's a shame because the pace was good. We were coming back in front. I knew that was probably the best chance I had to make the move because I was very close to him.

“He had colder tyres and I just tried the move, but it was a bit too much. When I saw him, he was coming back in front, I tried to let it go, but it was not enough.”

The Italian added that the relentless difficulty of overtaking around Zandvoort played into his judgment.

“I went for it. I went for it because it's so difficult to overtake,” he said. “The more laps you do in dirty air, the more it hurts your tyres and your pace. So I went for it and it was a bit too much.

“I just tried at some point to let it go, but it was not enough. Obviously, I feel sorry to him and next time, I will probably think twice before making the move, unless I'm 100% sure that I'm going to stick it.”

Penalties Compound Rookie’s Pain

The collision wasn’t Antonelli’s only setback. He also picked up a five-second time penalty for speeding in the pitlane, an error that he conceded should never happen.

“The speed limit [infraction] is something I need to make sure it doesn't happen again,” he explained. “I'm not too sure when I did it, but it was probably the first pit stop, so we need to make sure that doesn't happen.

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“Also, the late safety car was unfortunate because I already had almost a 10-second gap over the guy behind, and it would have been possible to finish P6 or P7.”

Instead, the penalties and the timing of the safety car meant Antonelli tumbled from a strong points-paying position to a lonely 16th place.

Lessons Learned the Hard Way

For Antonelli, the Dutch Grand Prix was a bruising but valuable learning experience in his rookie season. His willingness to own the mistake stood out as he promised to show more restraint going forward.

“I feel sorry to him,” he reiterated of Leclerc. “Next time, I will probably think twice before making the move.”

It was a tough day for Ferrari too, with Leclerc’s crash and Lewis Hamilton’s earlier exit leaving the Scuderia with a double retirement. For Antonelli, meanwhile, Zandvoort will go down as a race of lessons learned—the kind only a first year in Formula 1 can deliver.

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