Kimi Antonelli Hopes Rain Will Turnaround His Nightmare Mercedes Qualifying in Melbourne
March 15, 2025
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Mercedes rookie driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli has reflected on a disastrous qualifying session that saw him exit after Q1. The Italian driver’s W16 Formula One car suffered a damaged floor after he went wide on several corners. He will start the Australian Grand Prix at the Albert Park Circuit in P16. However, considering the wet weather forecast for the race on Sunday, he is resting his hopes on the uncertainty that could play out.
Kimi Antonelli filled seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton’s seat after he moved to Ferrari this year. However, in a bid to perform his best in his debut Formula One season, the 18-year-old driver encountered a setback.
Qualifying footage reveals that his car likely suffered significant floor damage on Turn 6 with an unusual increase in sparks beneath the car, indicating that the floor had lowered, leading to a drop in performance.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy driving the (12) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team W16 on track during final practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Australia at Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit on March… Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy driving the (12) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team W16 on track during final practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Australia at Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit on March 15, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia.
Clive Mason/Getty Images
Mercedes later acknowledged a bib damage on Kimi Antonelli’s W16 after he returned to the pits. His teammate George Russell, however, remained in the mix of top five performers in Australia by securing a P4 start for Sunday’s race. Speaking on his first qualifying session that didn’t go as expected, Kimi Antonelli said:
“It was a bit unfortunate. On the medium [tyres], obviously, it needed another lap to come in, but then we switched to softs, and I think after T6 the car was quite damaged.
“I don’t know how much it was in time, but I could feel a big loss in the straights, and then also quite a big loss in aero load. Definitely, the car was not the same as it was before that, and unfortunately it compromised the Qualifying.
“Well, tomorrow it’s going to rain, so anything can happen. We’ll try to build something good from there.”
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff told Sky Sports F1 that the damage to Kimi Antonelli’s car was a learning experience for him. Crash.net reported:
“A bit unfortunate for Kimi.
“Run wide, not much wider than before, and broke the bib, the front assembly, but at least tomorrow he’s going to have an exciting race – good for learning.”
2025 Australian Grand Prix Provisional Starting Grid
1. Lando Norris (McLaren) 2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) 3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 4. George Russell (Mercedes) 5. Yuki Tsunoda (VCARB) 6. Alex Albon (Williams) 7. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 8. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) 9. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) 10. Carlos Sainz (Williams) 11. Isack Hadjar (VCARB) 12. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) 13. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) 14. Jack Doohan (Alpine) 15. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) 16. Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) 17. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) 18. Liam Lawson (Red Bull) 19. Esteban Ocon (Haas) 20. Ollie Bearman (Haas)
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