Latest news with #Antonelli
IOL News
6 days ago
- Automotive
- IOL News
Rookie sensation Kimi Antonelli may vacate seat for Max Verstappen
Andrea Kimi Antonelli. left, has impressed in his rookie Formula One season but may be temporarily moved to Alpine if Mercedes finalise a deal for Max Verstappen. Photo: AFP Image: AFP Formula One rookie sensation Andrea Kimi Antonelli, 18, is likely to be the one to vacate his Mercedes seat should Toto Wolff pull the trigger on a blockbuster move for Max Verstappen, according to Italian media. The F1 world watched with anticipation at the start of the season as Wolff's gamble on the Italian teenager either threatened to backfire or deliver big. Replacing Lewis Hamilton was never going to be straightforward, but it only took a couple of races for Antonelli to prove he might be championship material. The Italian fought from P16 to finish P4 on debut during a wet Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park. Since then, he has claimed a P3 podium during a dream race weekend for Mercedes, with George Russell taking the win. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading Despite showing enormous promise, La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Mercedes are actively exploring a temporary placement for Antonelli at Alpine — a team currently struggling to find a reliable partner for Pierre Gasly. Alpine are also set to become a Mercedes customer team from next season, giving further credence to the potential switch. What added fuel to the Antonelli transfer speculation was a boating sighting off the coast of Sardinia this week. Vessels belonging to both Verstappen and Wolff were reportedly seen in the same stretch of the Mediterranean, suggesting the two may have met to discuss a potential deal. George Russell stoked the fire even more after confirming in Austria that talks with Verstappen were 'ongoing'. The idea of Verstappen lining up alongside Russell once seemed unthinkable, largely due to their frosty relationship. But now, it could become a reality as changes continue to unsettle Red Bull Racing. Although Verstappen is contracted to Red Bull until 2028, it has emerged that a performance clause could allow him to leave early. Should the reigning world champion fall below fourth in the Drivers' Championship by the Hungarian Grand Prix, a release clause could be activated — opening the door for Mercedes. Red Bull, who once dominated the sport, appear a shadow of their former selves. Key personnel have departed the Milton Keynes outfit, most notably team principal Christian Horner. Laurent Mekies of Racing Bulls has been linked as a potential successor, but the team's direction remains uncertain. Verstappen's quest for a fifth consecutive title is under threat, with McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri leading the charge at the sharp end of the grid. Meanwhile, Antonelli has delivered more than Wolff could have hoped for from a teenager — though not without error. He has shown occasional inexperience, including a high-profile incident in Austria when he collided with Verstappen on the opening lap, forcing both drivers to retire. Should he be moved, Alpine would be fortunate to acquire the young Italian, who could provide the boost they need to mount a proper midfield challenge against the likes of Williams.
Scottish Sun
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
F1 cult hero hints Max Verstappen is ‘already team-mates' with rival after spotting what he did at Austrian Grand Prix
MAX VERSTAPPEN's surprising reaction to his crash with Kimi Antonelli in Austria could be because they are 'already team-mates', an F1 icon reckons. Antonelli's Mercedes locked up and collided with the Red Bull of Verstappen during the first lap of Sunday's F1 Austrian Grand Prix. 1 The crash took both drivers out of the race at the Red Bull Ring Credit: AFP The notoriously edgy Dutchman was surprisingly relaxed in the wake of having his race ended by his young rival, being seen chatting calmly with the teenager after exiting their cars. Verstappen's friendly manner has added fuel to the fire of speculation that the defending champion could be joining Antonelli at Mercedes next season. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff is a known admirer of Verstappen, and could look to further shake up his team after legend Lewis Hamilton made the switch to Ferrari this season. Ex-Williams and McLaren cult hero Juan Pablo Montoya weighed in on the incident in conversation with READ MORE ON F1 LANDO LEGENDS Lando Norris pips McLaren team-mate to Austrian Grand Prix victory He said: "If you wanted to read into things, why was Max so nice to Kimi after their collision? Are they already teammates?" Montoya also suggested that the Red Bull driver might have seen something of himself in Antonelli, who was late on the brakes into turn three and ploughed into the pack, clipping Verstappen's Red Bull. Montoya said: "I think when that happened, in the way it did, he goes - 'I probably would have done the same thing.' "Inside he would be laughing about it." CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Verstappen was quick to wave the incident away after the race, saying: "Every driver has made a mistake like that. "No one does that on purpose, so for me, that is not a big deal." Ex-Red Bull mechanic claims Max Verstappen will quit F1 this year Despite extensive whispers of a team change, Verstappen is still contracted to Red Bull until 2028, as team principal Christian Horner has been keen to remind speculators. However, Antonelli's current Mercedes partner George Russell remains in contract limbo, as the team consider their options ahead of the 2026 season.
The Irish Sun
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
F1 cult hero hints Max Verstappen is ‘already team-mates' with rival after spotting what he did at Austrian Grand Prix
MAX VERSTAPPEN's surprising reaction to his crash with Kimi Antonelli in Austria could be because they are 'already team-mates', an F1 icon reckons. Antonelli's Mercedes locked up and collided with the Red Bull of Advertisement 1 The crash took both drivers out of the race at the Red Bull Ring Credit: AFP The notoriously edgy Dutchman was surprisingly relaxed in the wake of having his race ended by his young rival, being seen chatting calmly with the teenager after exiting their cars. Verstappen's friendly manner has added fuel to the fire of speculation that the defending champion could be Mercedes team boss Ex-Williams and McLaren cult hero Juan Pablo Montoya weighed in on the incident in conversation with Advertisement READ MORE ON F1 He said: "If you wanted to read into things, why was Max so nice to Kimi after their collision? Are they already teammates?" Montoya also suggested that the Red Bull driver might have seen something of himself in Antonelli, who was late on the brakes into turn three and ploughed into the pack, clipping Verstappen's Red Bull. Montoya said: "I think when that happened, in the way it did, he goes - 'I probably would have done the same thing.' "Inside he would be laughing about it." Advertisement Most read in Motorsport CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Verstappen was quick to wave the incident away after the race, saying: "Every driver has made a mistake like that. "No one does that on purpose, so for me, that is not a big deal." Ex-Red Bull mechanic claims Max Verstappen will quit F1 this year Despite extensive whispers of a team change, Verstappen is still contracted to Red Bull until 2028, as team principal Christian Horner has been keen to remind speculators. Advertisement However, Antonelli's current Mercedes partner George Russell remains in contract limbo, as the team consider their options ahead of the 2026 season.
New York Times
30-06-2025
- Automotive
- New York Times
Red Bull's Austria GP unraveling raises fresh questions
SPIELBERG, AUSTRIA — The Austrian Grand Prix slipped through Red Bull's fingertips, its Sunday going from bad to worse despite bringing a minor upgrade to Max Verstappen's car. This wasn't just any race for the team. At the center of the track, nestled in the Styrian mountains, stands a massive bull with gold horns jumping through an arch — a physical reminder of the circuit's name: Red Bull Ring. Back in 2004, the late co-founder of the energy drink company, Dietrich Mateschitz, bought what was the A1 Ring and revamped the location, bringing Formula One back to Spielberg in 2014. Advertisement Red Bull has dominated this track in recent years. Verstappen has won five times at Red Bull Ring and has four pole positions, both of which are records at the track. Red Bull Racing is headquartered in the United Kingdom, but Austria is home. And Sunday's race, where Verstappen didn't complete a full racing lap and Yuki Tsunoda finished two laps down, was 'a home race to forget,' team principal Christian Horner said, after the team ended the day point-less. Verstappen didn't make it past Turn 3 before his grand prix ended, at no fault of his own. And the stewards appeared to agree. The Dutchman entered the race knowing a podium finish would be hard to achieve from seventh on the grid. He was unable to set a final flying lap in qualifying after Pierre Gasly spun, triggering yellow flags and keeping Verstappen from being able to improve his Q3 time. Then came Kimi Antonelli. The Mercedes rookie started ninth and darted out from behind Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson as the grid headed towards Turn 3. It was a move to avoid a collision, Antonelli told the stewards, and he 'released the brakes for a short period of time to do so.' But he ended up on the inside line, which had less grip, making it difficult for the teenager to decelerate in time for the corner. He locked up the rear brakes and collided with Verstappen, ending both of their days. The stewards found Antonelli 'fully at fault,' handing him a three-place grid drop for next weekend's British Grand Prix, and he owned his mistake. A post shared by FORMULA 1® (@f1) Verstappen confirmed the two of them had spoken, even beyond what was captured as the drivers walked off the track. With his first DNF since the 2024 Australian Grand Prix, he now faces a 61-point gap to championship leader Oscar Piastri with 13 race weekends to go. The pressure then fell on Tsunoda to fight his way into points after starting 18th, his third Q1 exit in the last five races but the closest lap time to Verstappen since the early-season driver swap. Advertisement Tsunoda told reporters after the race that the RB21 'feels amazing' in the first few laps. But then, 'the tire is just melting lap by lap, corner by corner. Whatever I do, it's melting every lap, and I'm feeling less grip lap by lap. In that situation, it's really hard to maintain the pace.' The Japanese driver said he tried different ways all weekend to address the issue, but nothing worked. He wouldn't call the car bad, but said he was still trying to figure out where he was going wrong. 'The pace itself was pretty poor as well,' Tsunoda said. 'I'm not sure I'm doing completely wrong, to be honest, but the pace data between the level I have to be in is massive.' While the race pace may have been lacking, Tsunoda didn't exactly help matters either, ending up in numerous battles with Franco Colapinto. They tangled at least once, Tsunoda making contact with the Alpine driver and sending him spinning. Both continued racing, but Tsunoda received a 10-second time penalty for causing a collision. He served the penalty on Lap 62 and finished last among those who completed the race (but officially P16 after three pit stops). 'Yuki had a horrible race,' Horner told reporters. Tsunoda took responsibility for the collision with Colapinto and apologized to the team in a post-race interview with the written media. Asked whether he had the full support of the team, he responded with one word: 'Yes.' Tsunoda's one-lap qualifying pace has improved, but his race pace is lacking, something he attributed to the tires not 'holding at all' and lacking grip. Red Bull has already done a driver swap once this season, replacing Lawson with Tsunoda after two grands prix. Horner was asked post-race if races like Austria made him reconsider the second car, given the performance gap between the two. Advertisement 'We'll look to see how we can support him, but there's a big delta between the two cars,' Horner said. The team principal did admit that internally they are asking why that gap exists and added that 'obviously the car has evolved over the years in a specific direction. But we'll see if we can help Yuki and rebuild his confidence in Silverstone.' Unlike in recent years of Red Bull dominance, the RB21 has been a struggle to drive at times this season. McLaren is now the team that's in a league of its own, seemingly untouchable in Austria, while Red Bull is left trying to figure out what it can do in the last year of the current regulations. 'I still believe that we have strength and depth in this team. Unfortunately, we haven't seen the performance come that we would like,' Horner said. 'But it's the same fundamental group of people that 18 months ago had designed a car that won every single grand prix but one. They didn't suddenly just become idiots overnight. 'So, you have to acknowledge the great job that McLaren are doing and congratulations to them. But, for us, it's just about working harder because everybody is working incredibly hard. 'It's just working smarter. And let's see over the next few races.' Teams will soon need to switch their focus solely to 2026, a move that Williams made before this season even began. With 13 races to go, Red Bull is up against the clock to unlock performance and improve its pace. 'We'll see if we can find it,' Verstappen said. The RB21's issues have carried over from last year, where Red Bull struggled to find the right balance. The hotter temperatures, as was the case in Austria, only exacerbate the tire issues as well. It remains to be seen how the floor upgrade will perform, as only Verstappen had it in Austria. However, with three races to go before the summer break, is it enough time to unlock something for the second half of the season? 'Is it enough to challenge McLaren? I'm not sure,' Verstappen told reporters. 'Probably not. But I also don't want to sound depressed.' (Top photos of Yuki Tsunoda and Max Verstappen:, Jure Makeovec/AFP via Getty Images)
News18
30-06-2025
- Automotive
- News18
F1: Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli Handed Three-Place Grid Penalty At Silverstone After Austrian GP Mishap
Last Updated: Kimi Antonelli got a three-place grid penalty for the British Grand Prix after colliding with Max Verstappen in Austria. Antonelli apologized, and Verstappen accepted. Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli has been hit with a three-place grid penalty for the upcoming British Grand Prix after the stewards found him at fault for a collision with Max Verstappen on Lap 1 in Austria yesterday. After starting from P9 on the grid, Antonelli locked up the rear brakes of his Mercedes in Turn 3, causing him to hit Verstappen's Red Bull, which put both cars out of the race. Antonelli 💥 Verstappen: Here's the incident 🎥 #F1 #AustrianGP — Formula 1 (@F1) June 29, 2025 Both were summoned to the stewards over the incident, where the verdict was that Antonelli was 'fully at fault" for what happened, though it was also acknowledged that the move had been a 'result of the evasive action after locking up". Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli after the accident ☹️ — Laura 🦋 (@formuLau16) June 29, 2025 Given that the teenager was unable to continue in the race, the penalty decided upon was a three-place grid drop for the next race, that being Silverstone next weekend on July 4-6, as well as two penalty points on his licence. Speaking after his early exit from the race at the Red Bull Ring, Antonelli said: 'I just apologised straight away. I recognise it's all on me and I just feel sorry because I ended my race, but I ended his as well." 'I think I had a normal start, then going up to T3 I was just trying to maintain the position. I didn't want to do anything because I knew there was no space in front, but then when I hit the brake, I locked the rear, and I got caught by that. 'When I locked the rear, I lost the car, and then I had to first avoid the Racing Bull [of Lawson], but then I just couldn't stop the car. Unfortunately, I hit Max, and I just feel very sorry towards the team and him, of course. Verstappen was seemingly accepting of Antonelli's apology. Verstappen pai compreensivo leva de boa o acidente e revela que Antonelli foi até a Red Bull pedir desculpas'Acho que todos os pilotos já cometeram um erro assim" — Estagiário da F1 (@EstagiariodaF1) June 29, 2025 The World Champion, reflecting on the incident, said, 'Unlucky, I guess. It is what it is. I spoke quickly to Kimi, and he came with me to the hospitality. I think every driver has made a mistake like that. No one does that on purpose as well, so for me, that's not a big deal," said Verstappen post-race. First Published: June 30, 2025, 13:38 IST
