Antonelli ‘lucky’ to dodge disaster after Turn 1 chaos in São Paulo

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Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli admitted he was “lucky” to come away with his best-ever Formula 1 result in São Paulo on Sunday after being caught in a dramatic Turn 1 contact with Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc.

Starting from the front row alongside future race winner Lando Norris, the 19-year-old looked set for another strong result following an impressive qualifying and sprint performance at Interlagos.

But on the race’s restart on lap 6 after an early neutralization, Antonelli’s hopes were thrown into jeopardy when Piastri lunged down the inside of the Mercedes at the first corner and Leclerc tried to join the fight on the outside.

A Fortunate Escape

“I had a bad restart – I was a bit too aggressive on the power and got some wheel spin and lost momentum on the way to Turn 1,” Antonelli explained. “We were three wide and to be fair, on the braking Oscar was not fully alongside.

“The thing is, I was in a bit of a difficult position because I had Oscar on the inside and Charles on the outside. I tried my best to give space to both, I didn’t really see the crash – I just know Oscar locked up and at the apex I got hit.

“I ended up going into Charles, which was a shame because I ended up crashing with him and he had to retire. It’s not what I wanted but, on my side, I was very lucky to keep going.

“I need to check whether the car had damage. It felt a bit weird afterwards but we kept our heads down and managed to finish P2.”

Leclerc’s Ferrari was forced to retire with front suspension damage, while Piastri received a 10-second penalty for the collision. Despite minor handling issues, Antonelli managed to recover and hold his ground near the front of the pack.

Fending off Max Verstappen

After surviving the early chaos, Antonelli’s afternoon didn’t get any easier. The young Italian found himself under mounting pressure from Max Verstappen in the final laps of the race, with the Red Bull driver closing rapidly on fresher tyres.

“I don’t know where this guy came from to be honest! I didn’t see it coming,” Antonelli said with a laugh after the race.

“The last lap was very stressful with Max coming with fresher tyres. With free air we were able to maintain a decent pace and finish P2.

“I found my rhythm. Obviously when he was closing in I raised the pace and started to push a bit more. With these cars, in dirty air it’s a bit difficult to follow so I tried to use that to my advantage and it paid off.”

The Mercedes rookie managed to hold off Verstappen by just 0.362 seconds at the line, securing his second podium of the season – an improvement on the third place he achieved in Canada earlier in the year.

Growing Momentum at Mercedes

Antonelli labelled his Brazilian weekend “the most complete” of his season so far, a sign that Mercedes’ recent updates and his growing confidence are starting to yield results.

“It was definitely the most complete weekend of the season so far. I think we’ve finally been putting things together,” he reflected.

“I’m just happy. I think we maximised the performance, the result, and got some good points in the constructors. We need to keep pushing.”

For Antonelli, Sunday’s result not only marked a milestone in his rapid rise through Formula 1 but also showcased the composure and maturity that many believe will make him a future star at Mercedes.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.