Andrea Kimi Antonelli has admitted that he must improve his discipline over Formula 1 track limits after narrowly avoiding another unnecessary penalty at Spa-Francorchamps. The Mercedes driver repeatedly exceeded the white lines during the Belgian Grand Prix, prompting a firm warning from race engineer Peter Bonnington while he was pursuing Charles Leclerc for the lead.
The young championship leader is constantly searching for every available centimetre of asphalt to optimise his racing line. That determination has helped define Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s aggressive driving style in the 2026 Formula 1 cars, but it has also left Mercedes fearing avoidable penalties at several races.
Kimi Antonelli admits recurring F1 track-limits problem
Track limits have caused Andrea Kimi Antonelli difficulties on several occasions this season, from Miami and Barcelona to Silverstone, where a penalty cost him a points finish. The problem resurfaced at Spa, where Peter Bonnington firmly cautioned the Italian against committing another infringement during his pursuit of Charles Leclerc.
Speaking at a media session in Budapest attended by GP-News.net, Andrea Kimi Antonelli acknowledged that his repeated excursions beyond the track limits had become an issue.
“I imagine you know that sometimes I like to use a little too much of the track,” Andrea Kimi Antonelli said. “It is something I am trying to work on. I mean, if I think back to Spa and the track limits, I have to admit they were really absurd. I asked myself: ‘What the hell am I doing?’”
Although the Mercedes driver ultimately secured victory in Belgium, the infringements added unnecessary risk to an otherwise successful race. His performance at Spa also created a delicate situation for Toto Wolff and Mercedes as the Italian strengthened his position in the championship battle.
Antonelli explains why he must use track limits more carefully
Andrea Kimi Antonelli understands that there may be moments when a driver needs to exploit every possible margin during a race. However, using up those allowances unnecessarily can become costly later if another infringement is required while fighting a rival or defending a position.
“I feel it is definitely something I need to work on because sometimes in a race I might need to use them,” Andrea Kimi Antonelli explained. “But if I use them when it is not necessary, I could find myself in trouble. So it is definitely something I am working on, and it was certainly one of the first things my father said to me after the race.”
Kimi Antonelli reveals father’s blunt Spa warning
Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s father congratulated him on his Spa performance but immediately followed the praise with a colourful warning about his repeated track-limits infringements.
“At Spa, my father told me: ‘Congratulations, but, but…’ There is always a but. Then he added: ‘If I see you exceed the track limits again for no reason, I’ll wring your neck like a chicken.’ Yes, those were his words.”
The message was delivered humorously, but the underlying point was serious. As Andrea Kimi Antonelli fights at the front of the championship, eliminating needless track-limits infringements could prevent an avoidable penalty from affecting a future race result.
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