Antonelli fails first F1 exam, crashes Russell's car in Monza FP1
F1 NewsFriday, 30 August 2024 at 15:08
All eyes were on Kimi Antonelli this afternoon during FP1 one for the 2024 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, the much-hyped rookie was announcing himself on the big stage, but he failed his first major Formula 1 exam quite miserably no matter how the incident is spun.
Mercedes granted him George Russell's car for the first free practice session of his home Grand Prix at Monza. No brighter the spotlight could a driver face, and at 18 years of age, his youth and inexperience showed. Despite a couple of good early laps, heading into the Parabolica too hot, the Mercedes driver lost control and ended up in the barriers with a pretty hefty shunt.
Mercedes media boss Bradley Lord told Sky F1: "We’re literally just getting the car back as we speak. It was a pretty hefty impact at high-speed corner. Kimi’s still down at the medical centre just being checked out making sure everything’s ok. We’ll assess the car and hopefully have it turned around for FP2.
"It’s unfortunate it ended the way it did. But he was on the limit, pushing the limit from lap one, that’s always good to see and it’s all part of the learning curve," added Lord.
Welcome to Formula 1. Kimi Antonelli!
No matter how it is spun, it will be a big disappointment for Antonelli and Mercedes that, on such a day, The New Kid On The Block fluffed his lines. Lord and his team would by far rather be reporting that the teenager did a fine session, added 20 laps to his resume and finished in the top ten and not far off Lewis Hamilton. But, they have 'nada' to work with, fielding questions about a crash instead.
A Champion in every junior series he contested, Antonelli hasn't been super stellar in Formula 2; his inexperience evident as some of his offs during the campaign, has shown. But in Formula 1, with nowhere to hide, the implications of such a mistake are immense. After all, Mercedes appear intent on banking their future on Kimi, and Russell of course.
Word in the paddock is this weekend, Mercedes were planning to announce that Antonelli is their driver for 2025. A young driver they hope will develop into one that can fill the big shoes of Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton and push,new team leader, Russell in the other car.
Kimi's much-anticipated debut was not the script Mercedes wanted for their protege
Mercedes will be forgiven for wondering, as we all do, if indeed he's ready to step up to Formula 1. On the upside, if there is one, is that he wasn't hurt and Mercedes team boss Toto Wolf was immediately over the radio: "Kimi, all good. All good."
Pacifying his protege, which is what one would expect until he has a word with the lad away from the inevitable glare, as a reprimand and lesson is in there somewhere for the lad and his team.
The risk was always there for Mercedes by putting him in the car at Monza. Well-intended PR moment up in dust and the bent metal to go with it here proved to be too much too soon, all of a sudden. In retrospect, of course.
Whatever the circumstances, it was an obvious rookie error on lap three of what should have been a solid hour in the car at Monza today turned into a 10-minute forgettable cameo, which invariably will prompt questions. Antonelli did five laps in total, three of them 'hotlaps' before his session ended.
Big Question: Is Antonelli ready for the step up to Formula 1?
If this was his first exam, he failed it. So let's see what tomorrow holds, if there is an announcement, and how Mercedes will repair what will be a bruised ego. And not good for morale or confidence if one considers the alternative, which was bringing the car home unbroken.
Instead, he's given the Mercedes team a hectic couple of hours to repair the car and ensure Russell makes FP2 and thrown a huge question mark regarding his readiness to step up not only to F1, but to one of the top three teams at the pinnacle of the sport.
Watching replays of the incident on Sky F1, Joyon Palmer observed: "Overcommitted. There's so much talk about this guy. We're all excited to see him and his first lap. You're thinking, this is why he has the talent. "You got to put this down to someone having so much confidence and belief in their talent to go out and just...
"This is Formula 1, he is going alongside Lewis Hamilton in FP1 in a Mercedes, trying to showcase what he can do. He obviously has a huge amount of confidence. He has a huge amount of talent. But this is some level of youthful exuberance as well to just go beyond the limit when the track is not in great condition," lamented Palmer. It was a disappointment.
In stark contrast, unhyped and relatively unknown until now, Franco Colapinto, another Formula 1 rookie making his debut on Friday at Monza, albeit under different circumstances as the Argentine F2 driver has been called up to replace axed Logan Sargeant.
Colapinto, on his first outing for Williams today, was 17th fastest and unlike fellow debutant, highly hyped Antonelli, ended the session without incident despite a close call also at Parabolica, but no damage sustained. Franco's firts F1 exam passed.
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