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Antonelli Surprises at Chinese Grand Prix Despite Unreported Mercedes Damage

Carl Harrison by Carl Harrison
March 23, 2025
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0
Antonelli Surprises at Chinese Grand Prix Despite Unreported Mercedes Damage

2025 Chinese Grand Prix, Friday - Jiri Krenek

In an unexpected twist at the Chinese Grand Prix, Kimi Antonelli, the young Italian prodigy, managed to steer his damaged Mercedes W16 to a P6 finish. Notably, the 18-year-old ace was kept in the dark about the floor damage his vehicle had sustained throughout the race, a revelation that came only after his victory lap.

Antonelli initially crossed the finish line in the eighth position. However, the disqualification of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc due to excessive skidblock wear and an underweight car, respectively, propelled him to the sixth position in the final classification. The young driver’s impressive performance did not go unnoticed, earning him the coveted “Driver of the Day” award from the fans.

In a post-race interview, Antonelli shared his surprise upon learning about the award from Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff. The young racer went on to reveal that crucial information regarding his vehicle’s condition had been withheld from him during the race. When asked by Sky F1 to confirm his unawareness about the floor damage, Antonelli admitted, “Yeah, they didn’t want to tell me so I wouldn’t panic, probably.”

Despite the setback, Antonelli displayed commendable resilience, pushing through the difficulties he faced during the race. “I could feel something was weird from Lap 1. Yesterday was front limitation, front left, and today, I was really struggling with the rear for the whole race, which was quite unusual,” he said. He further noted that keeping up was a challenge, especially trying to preserve the rears as much as possible.

Reflecting on the experience, the young driver saw it as a valuable lesson. He stated, “It was a good experience as well, because it was tough. And also trying not to make mistakes was difficult. But yeah, now full focus to Japan.”

In the meantime, Antonelli’s teammate, George Russell, celebrated a back-to-back podium finish for Mercedes, delivering a P3 after a smooth drive. When asked about his race, Russell responded, “We know we’re not quite in that fight, and P3 is by far the maximum. P3 today, really, really strong race I thought, and obviously finishing six or seven seconds ahead of Max [Verstappen], and held off the Ferraris.”

Russell had a brief chance at P2 due to a brake pedal issue for McLaren’s Lando Norris. However, despite finishing just over a second behind Norris, Russell acknowledged that his compatriot had the situation under control. As he put it, “I think he knew the gap, and he managed it well, and ultimately, we didn’t deserve to finish higher than P3, so I’m very happy with that result.”

As the dust settles on the Chinese Grand Prix, it’s clear that Antonelli’s impressive performance, despite his vehicle’s damage, and Russell’s untroubled drive to P3, are the key talking points. As we look forward to the next race in Japan, the Mercedes team will undoubtedly be looking to build on their successes.

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