04/05/2025 09:15
Kimi Antonelli has expressed relief that he managed to avoid a
"big" accident with Max Verstappen during the Miami sprint. Heading
into the pits for a change to slick tyres midway through the 18-lap
race following a start on intermediates due to the heavy rain that
fell over the Miami International Autodrome ahead of the event. As
Antonelli started to turn into his pit box, the right-rear wheel of
his Mercedes was hit by the front-left of Max Verstappen in his Red
Bull, shattering the carbon fibre wheel cover on the W15. Antonelli
was forced to abort his stop, costing him a shot at points. The
18-year-old crossed the line in 10th, albeit seven places ahead of
the four-time F1 champion who was hit with a 10-second penalty for
an unsafe release. Verstappen had taken the chequered flag in
fourth, but the punishment demoted him to last as the race finished
behind the safety car after Fernando Alonso crashed into a wall on
lap 14 due to being hit by Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson. Antonelli
would move up to seventh place after various post-race penalties,
ensuring he scored two points for the Mercedes team. Reflecting on
the pit-lane incident with Verstappen, speaking to Viaplay,
Antonelli said: "The pace was okay. I was struggling a little with
the balance, but then the moment to switch to slicks arrived. "I
think [what happened in] the pit lane was very unfortunate. No
blame on Max because he couldn't do anything. He just respected the
order. "I'm happy that I avoided a crash because it could have been
a really big one, especially for the mechanics, so I'm happy that
nothing went wrong." Piastri was 'over the edge' Antonelli, though,
was unhappy with what unfolded at the start. Alongside him on the
front row, McLaren's Oscar Piastri enjoyed the marginally better
getaway, allowing him to draw alongside F1's youngest polesitter
into Turn 1. Antonelli had to take the run-off area to avoid a
collision with Piastri, rejoining the track in fourth position.
Despite his claim over the radio that he was forced off the track,
the stewards opted to take no further action. "It was a great
opportunity," said Antonelli. "[I am] a bit annoyed about how lap
one went. The getaway was good. Then I broke traction a little, so
it was not ideal. "Going into Turn 1, I thought it was a bit on the
edge, even a bit over the edge. I got hit, and then obviously went
off. "It seems it's like this, that you can do whatever you want.
So it's good to know for the future. Definitely, it's a shame. But
luckily, we have qualifying to bounce back."
