Kimi Antonelli promised to set aside his frustration over the Brazilian Grand Prix to celebrate Mercedes securing the Formula 1 constructors’ championship. The Italian driver lamented the balance troubles and an unexpected spin that derailed his path to victory.
Race Leading Pace and Early Advantage
The recently crowned world champion launched past polesitter Lando Norris at the start of the race and rapidly opened up a comfortable gap over the British driver during the opening laps. He maintained his position through the initial round of pit stops as the track dried enough for slick tires, though Norris utilized an undercut strategy to significantly slash Antonelli’s lead.
On lap 20, Antonelli lost control of his machine and spun at the first corner. Although he managed to rejoin the track, Norris had already surged ahead into the lead, dropping the Mercedes driver directly into a battle with Isack Hadjar.
Car Instability and Post-Race Analysis
Prior to the spin, Antonelli radioed the team to express concern over a potential suspension problem, noting that the car pulled to one side under acceleration. The persistent balance difficulties subsequently allowed both Hadjar and Max Verstappen to overtake him, while no definitive explanation for the issue surfaced during the grand prix.
Reflecting on the outcome, Antonelli told Autosport.com, “I’m very disappointed for the race. I’m very angry to be fair, but I’m going to put all this aside for now because the team clinched the title.”
He added, “We clinched the title for the team, and they all deserve it and I’m very proud to be part of this group and this team who has done and still does so much for me and I’m very happy for them. But talking about the race specifically, yeah, very disappointing.”
Detailing the incident, Antonelli noted that he was on course to win before the sudden loss of the rear end without any prior warning. He mentioned feeling an odd sensation as soon as he fitted the soft compound tires, requiring a thorough investigation by the team.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Antonelli elaborated that the trouble exclusively affected left-hand corners, particularly in high-speed areas across the Interlagos circuit. He reported that the rear felt extremely loose and unstable even along the straight finishing kink.
Flat spots on all four tires resulting from the spin severely compromised his pace. Once he bolted on a fresh second set of soft tires, his lap times recovered significantly, allowing him to mount a late challenge against Hadjar.
