Kimi Antonelli started off his rookie F1 season at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit in a chaotic Australian GP.
The young driver impressed everyone on debut finishing P4, right behind his senior teammate George Russell. The Mercedes driver had started P16 on the grid as he missed Q2 following damage to the car. He set a time of 1:16.525 for his first qualifying session on Saturday, dropping out by less than a tenth.
It is important to note that Antonelli was issued a 5-second time penalty at the end of the race. This was due to the steward’s verdict of unsafe release when he was released into the path of Sauber’s Nico Hulkenburg.
However after Mercedes submitted a “Right of Review” the penalty was later overturned. This decision was made after Antonelli’s media duties when he thought he was P5.
An impressive debut for Antonelli
Predictions from Saturday turned out to be true as it rained all throughout the Australian GP. Despite the gruelling conditions, Antonelli pushed through the grid.
Making up 12 positions at the end of 57 laps, an impressive feat considering this is his debut race. The Italian also got in some overtakes on the day.
When reflecting on his race, the 18-year-old couldn’t be more pleased with the results, stating that he was very happy with how the tricky race conditions were managed both by himself and the team, although he did spin in the first stint at turn 4.
He also took a moment to show his appreciation for the team’s hard work in the print media zone, helped along the way by legendary race engineer Bono.
“I think today we got all the possible worst conditions for a first race. I mean, we got wet, slicks on [a] damp [track], slicks on wet, and then back to wet. So definitely a really, really eventful race. But really happy how it was managed from my side and from the team.
“Of course, I did a couple of mistakes, especially the spin. But the conditions were super, super tricky. I mean, also those white lines were a killer.
“But yeah, really happy. I mean, the team really helped me throughout the whole race and made all the right calls. And definitely cannot complain about today.”
Tight calls
Like many of the other drivers in the F1 Australian GP, Kimi Antonelli was called into the pits at around lap 44 as the wet weather returned.
Despite his initial request to stay out, the driver is thankful he listened to the pit wall. It had started to rain once again right after he pitted but the driver was prepared for the wet track.
The call moved him up to P5 when he had been running behind Gasly, Tsunoda and the two Ferraris.
“I wanted to stay out for one more lap because it felt like, at the end, only sector three was wet. But the rest of the track was dry.
“But it was good to stay on the safer side because it started to rain quite heavily. And definitely, I think staying out one more lap maybe could have worked.
“But I think it was good to come in and the team did great. It was definitely the right call.”
Tricky conditions
The Mercedes driver first got into points at lap 34. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso had spun 180 degrees and made heavy contact with the wall. This caused a yellow flag and a Safety Car was later called.
When asked how it felt to watch a veteran of the sport like Alonso crash, Kimi Antonelli was quick to acknowledge the difficult conditions of the race, pointing out that he himself had a little spin.
“I mean, the conditions were super tricky. You know, I also spun. I was lucky to spin in a place where it was safe to do. But, you know, obviously conditions were super tricky. I mean, super, super slippery.
“Especially behind the safety car, the tyres were cooling down massively. And to get back the temperature was really tricky.
“But, of course, I mean, super, super happy with how everything was managed.”
Supporting his teammate
The Mercedes rookie also wasn’t shy to show his support for his teammate George Russell on the podium. Antonelli says he was impressed by the Brit’s performance during the race, and that he had been a mentor to the rookie the entire weekend, with the Italian standing below the podium.
“I think we all did a good race, also from his side. I mean, to stay, you know, because at the end of the day, it was really hard to stay on track overall.
“And for him to grab the podium is a really good result for the team. And it was good to do to go down there.
“He’s been helping me to improve this weekend. So definitely looking forward to be working with him in the future as well.”
Going in underprepared
A wet race for your debut is definitely a rare occurrence. Notorious for being a lot more difficult than a race in dry conditions, Antonelli’s performance was very impressive, it’s even more so knowing that he hasn’t done much prepping or testing for this scenario.
Only in his maiden F1 test at the Red Bull Ring last year did he encounter wet conditions during TPC running.
“I mean, it was my second ever time on the wet with an F1. My first time was in Austria, my first ever test.
“So I think first stint, I struggled a little bit because it was inter. I was trying to learn the tyre and to see how it was working, the grip and everything.
“And then when I put the second set, you know, I had a lot more confidence. And yeah, so I think it was good and a really good experience.”
Family support
The entire Antonelli family also flew into Melbourne to show the 18-year-old their support. The Mercedes driver acknowledged this and says it was “really nice to have them there”.
“It was important.
“You know, it’s my first ever race weekend. And to have my family there was great. And it was also good today to do such a race and to get a good result because also, my mom and sister, they came, and my dad, of course.
“They came all the way from Italy to support. And it was really nice to have them here.”
