Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli has revealed that significant damage to his car affected the closing stages of his Azerbaijan Grand Prix comeback, forcing him to adopt a much more cautious approach around the demanding Baku street circuit.
Antonelli delivered an impressive recovery drive on Saturday after starting the race from 16th on the grid. The Italian’s low starting position came after his qualifying session ended prematurely following an early crash, leaving him with a major challenge to recover ground during the race.
Despite starting deep in the field, the championship leader steadily worked his way forward and eventually crossed the finish line in fifth place. His strong recovery also saw him finish ahead of Lewis Hamilton, another driver considered to be in contention for the championship. Hamilton ultimately finished sixth, further highlighting the significance of Antonelli’s result.
However, Antonelli’s race could easily have ended in disappointment during the closing stages.
With just 15 laps remaining, a chaotic safety car restart triggered a series of incidents at the opening corner. Franco Colapinto attempted an aggressive move down the inside but badly misjudged the corner, making contact with his team-mate Pierre Gasly before Gasly was pushed into Lando Norris.
The incident resulted in multiple cars becoming involved, creating one of the most dramatic moments of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Elsewhere in the same sequence of incidents, Arvid Lindblad made contact with his team-mate Liam Lawson, while Ollie Bearman also became involved in the chaos. Bearman’s car made contact with the left-hand side of Antonelli’s Mercedes, leaving the championship leader with substantial damage.
Although Antonelli managed to continue, the damage significantly affected how he approached the remainder of the race.
Speaking after the Grand Prix, Antonelli explained that he deliberately reduced the risks he was taking because he knew his Mercedes had suffered serious floor damage.
“I was driving a bit like my grandmother today,” Antonelli joked when describing his approach.
The Mercedes driver explained that he had essentially switched into what he described as a “damage safe mode,” making sure he avoided unnecessary risks while still trying to maintain a competitive pace.
According to Antonelli, the damage became particularly severe following the safety car restart.
“Before making a move, I was making sure that I could go for it,” he explained. “But at the same time, after the restart, I had the big floor damage. My whole left side was gone with the contact.”
The revelation provides further context to Antonelli’s fifth-place finish. Rather than simply managing his tyres or protecting his position, the young Italian was also dealing with significant aerodynamic damage during the final stages.
Despite those limitations, Antonelli kept his Mercedes on the road and secured valuable championship points. His recovery from 16th to fifth also demonstrated his ability to remain composed during a chaotic race.
With the championship battle continuing to intensify, Antonelli’s ability to score heavily despite setbacks could prove increasingly important as the season moves toward its decisive stages.
