Kimi Antonelli’s much-anticipated Formula 1 debut weekend took a dramatic turn just 10 minutes into the first practice session of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. The 18-year-old Mercedes junior, who is tipped to join the team full-time next season, was given the chance to drive George Russell’s W15 for the session. However, his outing was abruptly halted when he crashed on his second flying lap.
Antonelli, driving the Mercedes W15 fitted with the newer floor specification introduced at Spa, made an immediate impact by setting the fastest time on his first lap, clocking a 1m23.955s on soft tires. This lap, despite being 1.3 seconds slower than Max Verstappen’s best time in the corresponding session in 2023, was impressive for a debutant.
However, as Antonelli pushed for a quicker lap, he encountered trouble at Monza’s notorious final corner, Alboreto (formerly Parabolica). After setting a personal best in the first sector and an overall best in the second sector, Antonelli lost control at the corner’s apex. The rear of the car snapped into oversteer, sending the W15 into a spin. He skidded across the gravel trap and slammed into the tyre barrier, ripping off the car’s front wing in the process.
The incident brought out the red flags, halting the session for around 15 minutes. Antonelli, clearly frustrated, quickly reported over the radio that he was unhurt, though he was audibly upset, saying, “F***. Yeah. F***. Sorry.” Mercedes CEO Toto Wolff responded calmly, reassuring the young driver: “Kimi, all good. All good, Kimi.”
At the time of the crash, Antonelli was fourth on the timesheets, with the other Mercedes, driven by Lewis Hamilton, leading the session. Antonelli’s crash serves as a stark reminder of the challenges young drivers face when stepping up to the highest level of motorsport, even for those with immense talent and potential like the Italian prodigy.
Despite the early setback, Antonelli’s pace in his brief time on track has already shown why Mercedes sees him as a future star. Fans and the team will be eager to see how he bounces back from this incident as he continues his journey in Formula 1.
