Mercedes has moved quickly to support Kimi Antonelli after the Formula 1 championship leader suffered a rare mistake in Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying, crashing in Q1 and ending the session only 16th. Vice team principal Bradley Lord played down the error, stressing that mistakes are inevitable and that the race remains the moment when the points are scored.
It was a qualifying session of two completely different halves for Mercedes in Baku. While George Russell delivered a dominant pole position, finishing 0.837 seconds clear of his nearest rival, Kimi Antonelli made a costly mistake in Q1 and could go no further than 16th on the starting grid.
Mercedes backs Kimi Antonelli after rare Baku mistake
The error was one of the first significant mistakes of the 20-year-old Bologna driver’s season. With Kimi Antonelli leading the World Championship, Mercedes immediately closed ranks around its young driver, attempting to reassure him after a difficult qualifying session and protect him from the inevitable criticism that can follow such an incident.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 on behalf of the Brackley team, vice team principal Bradley Lord defended Kimi Antonelli and underlined that one qualifying error should not overshadow the bigger picture.
“Kimi? It was a mistake. Mistakes happen and, fortunately, it happened in qualifying. He was still fast enough to make Q2; he’ll start 16th, pending any penalties for other drivers,” Bradley Lord explained. “I think tomorrow he’ll race intelligently in the opening stages and I’m sure he has the pace to fight his way back through.”
The setback leaves Kimi Antonelli with considerably more work to do in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, particularly after a qualifying session in which the other Mercedes demonstrated the potential of the car. George Russell’s margin at the front highlighted the contrast between the two sides of the garage, with his performance reinforcing the strength already shown by the Mercedes W17 during the 2026 season.
Bradley Lord: ‘What matters is tomorrow’s race’
Bradley Lord also acknowledged that there is normally a degree of margin a driver can manage, although Mercedes had not yet had the opportunity to speak properly with Kimi Antonelli and establish exactly what happened before the crash.
“There’s always a certain margin that can be managed,” Bradley Lord added. “But obviously we don’t yet know exactly what happened; we haven’t had the chance to speak to him yet. He’s only just returned to the garage, so we’ll find out.”
Rather than dwelling on the error, Mercedes is already looking towards the Grand Prix and the possibility of a recovery drive from its championship leader.
“But [this episode] is part of a long season and what matters is tomorrow’s race. That’s where the points are scored,” Bradley Lord concluded.
Kimi Antonelli therefore faces an unusual challenge from the eighth row of the grid as he attempts to limit the consequences of his qualifying mistake and protect his position at the top of the Formula 1 drivers’ standings.
At the opposite end of the Mercedes garage, George Russell will start from pole after producing the standout lap of qualifying. The scale of his advantage was also reflected in the wider Baku qualifying order, with Charles Leclerc securing a place on the front row.
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