Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli explains poor start and Isack Hadjar clash in Shanghai Sprint race. Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli explains his poor start in the Chinese GP Sprint.

Antonelli reflects on Chinese GP Sprint difficulties

Saturday in China started off immediately uphill for Andrea Kimi Antonelli, from the opening laps of the 19-lap Sprint Race to the checkered flag. The Mercedes driver, starting from second on the grid, suffered a critical error at the start, with his car almost completely stalled. This allowed the chasing drivers to overtake him easily, forcing the #12 into a furious recovery drive.

Contact with Hadjar and penalty

In his effort to climb the order quickly on the first lap, Kimi Antonelli also made contact with Isack Hadjar’s Red Bull following an inside pass at Turn 6. The maneuver was penalized by Race Control with a 10-second penalty. Serving it during a Safety Car stop following Nico Hülkenberg’s Audi retirement, Antonelli still managed to finish the Sprint in fifth place.

Post-race explanation

Speaking to Sky Sport after the race, Antonelli explained what went wrong at the start and acknowledged his error on Isack Hadjar: “The turbo was missing, it wasn’t ready at the start, and first of all I had to release the clutch less,” he said. “I had to let it slip a lot more, otherwise I risked stalling. But I need to see exactly what happened with the procedure, because it seems something went wrong. I ruined my race, and the incident with Isack was my fault. The pace was decent, but with the 10-second penalty, it was a mess.”

The 2026 season is proving to be a steep learning curve for the young generation of drivers, and Antonelli’s “missing turbo” issue is a prime example of how software-driven the modern F1 era has become. While the raw mechanical grip of the Mercedes is undeniable, the intricate balance of energy recovery and deployment during a race start is where championships can be won or lost. Antonelli’s honesty regarding the Hadjar collision shows a level of maturity that will serve him well in the long run, but he will know that leaving points on the table due to “overexcitement” is a luxury he cannot afford as the title battle intensifies. Tomorrow’s race will be a test of his ability to stay calm under pressure and prove that he can master the complex systems that currently define the pecking order.