Antonelli calls Dutch weekend a useful lesson
Formula 1 championship leader Kimi Antonelli said that the Dutch Grand Prix weekend in Zandvoort was a useful lesson for him after mistakes in qualifying for the sprint and the main race. In both cases, the Italian finished behind his Mercedes teammate George Russell.
Qualifying mistakes
In qualifying for Saturday's sprint, 19-year-old Antonelli took fifth place and finished fourth in the race itself. Russell started from pole position and won the sprint, gaining back three points in the title battle.
In qualifying for Sunday's Grand Prix, Antonelli finished third. Russell qualified second, while reigning Formula 1 champion Lando Norris of McLaren took pole position. According to Channel NewsAsia, Antonelli won five races in a row at the start of the season but has claimed only one victory in the last five rounds.
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Championship advantage
Antonelli said that he does not feel additional pressure, but this weekend reminded him of the need to remain vigilant. He admitted a mistake in the final part of qualifying which, he said, could have cost him pole position: the driver lost several tenths of a second at the start of his final flying lap.
On Friday, during sprint qualifying, Antonelli went off the track onto the gravel and damaged the floor of his car. Mercedes repaired the car but believed that the loss of downforce had a significant impact in the slow corners. Team principal Toto Wolff noted that Antonelli made a mistake in the first sector, while Russell made one in the final sector.
At the time of the comment, Antonelli was 53 points ahead of Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton and 56 points ahead of Russell.
