Antonelli apologizes to Leclerc after Zandvoort incident, Wolff defends young driver
Mercedes gains on Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship
Following Ferrari’s double retirement at the Dutch Grand Prix, Mercedes managed to claw back some points in the Constructors’ Championship, thanks to George Russell’s fourth-place finish. The British driver finished just behind Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar, after a race in which he faced two overtakes from Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari. Russell specifically commented on the second overtake at Turn 11 on lap 32, acknowledging the skill of Leclerc’s maneuver but expressing some concerns regarding the regulations.
Meanwhile, the Mercedes garage dealt with frustration after the race. Kimi Antonelli misjudged a braking point after his second pit stop, colliding with Leclerc and taking the Monegasque out of the race. Antonelli quickly apologized to Leclerc after the GP and immediately turned his focus to his next home race at Monza.
Russell’s take on Leclerc’s overtakes
In Zandvoort, Mercedes’ only points came from George Russell, who finished fourth in a race filled with dramatic moments. The British driver was in the spotlight after being overtaken twice by Leclerc. The first move occurred early in the race, while the second happened on lap 32. Russell raised concerns about the legality of the second overtake, noting that attempting such a move on the outside in that corner typically leads to gravel.
Russell told Sky Sport after the race: “I never saw a driver attempt an overtake on the outside of that corner because the natural racing line takes you into the gravel. I wasn’t pushing him off; I was on my line, he went off track. It may have been a beautiful overtake, but it happened off-track and caused significant damage to my car, ruining my race.” The stewards investigated the incident but issued no penalties for Leclerc. Russell added: “It wasn’t a hard overtake, just off-track, maybe slightly. The rules are clear: in qualifying, even a small excess over the limits cancels your lap. I didn’t push him out; I stayed on my line.”
Antonelli’s tough weekend and apology
While Russell secured a respectable fourth place, Antonelli experienced a difficult GP. The weekend started poorly, with a mistake in FP1 forcing him to miss the session entirely. In the race, he had recovered several positions and settled in the top ten before misjudging a braking point at Turn 3 after his second pit stop. Attempting to out-brake Leclerc, Antonelli collided with the Ferrari, sending it into a spin and then the barriers.
Antonelli admitted to Sky Sport: “The mistake was entirely mine; I caused the contact. I attempted the overtake, and at one point I was alongside him, but he came back down from the banking slightly ahead. I tried to let him pass without forcing the move, but it wasn’t enough. I apologize to Charles, his team, and my team.”
The positive note for Antonelli is that he will soon race in front of his home crowd at Monza, where he was officially announced as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement by Mercedes one year ago. The young Italian now has a chance to bounce back with strong performances starting from qualifying. Antonelli said: “It’s important to aim for a good qualifying since our race pace is strong. We need to start upfront and fight. I’m really looking forward to my second home race and hope to give the fans a great experience.”
Wolff on the incident: “We want Antonelli aggressive”
Toto Wolff also commented on Kimi Antonelli’s Zandvoort collision. “It’s really difficult for a young driver to find the balance between trying hard and causing an incident. He had the pace in clean air, but everything was lost with the collision.” Wolff defended his young driver, emphasizing Mercedes’ philosophy for Antonelli. “Kimi has made incredible progress since the start of the season. Today showed his strong pace. Unfortunately, he was too optimistic with Leclerc, which cost both him and Ferrari. That said, we want him aggressive and to chase every opportunity on track. That’s what he did today, and it’s a shame it didn’t work out.”
On the Leclerc-Russell incident, Wolff added: “In my opinion, it was a risky move by Leclerc. George suffered damage, which may have cost him the chance to fight for the podium and extra championship points.”
Regarding driver contract renewals, Wolff confirmed there would be no announcement at Monza: “No, there won’t be an announcement in Monza, and I don’t think it will be anything major. It will just be a communication that the agreements have been signed.”
Leave a Reply