The F1 championship leader missed substantial running across both Thursday sessions but recovered to second place behind George Russell and said he already feels comfortable in the Mercedes

News Summary

Kimi Antonelli described his second place in Azerbaijan GP FP2 as a strong recovery after mechanical problems severely reduced his running across both Thursday sessions in Baku.

The Formula 1 championship leader lost more than half of FP1 after stopping at Turn 7 with a hydraulic failure. Mercedes subsequently changed the engine in his W17, delaying his return during the second practice session.

Antonelli only joined FP2 after the red flag caused by Arvid Lindblad’s crash, leaving him approximately 30 minutes to complete his qualifying and race preparation.

Despite the restricted programme, the Italian completed 16 laps and set a 1:43.899 to finish second, 0.552s behind Mercedes team-mate George Russell.

Speaking to Ted Kravitz of Sky Sports F1 after the session, Antonelli said Mercedes had extracted the maximum possible from a difficult day. “We tried to do the maximum with what we had. Obviously, we lost quite a few laps in FP1 and then missed half of FP2,” Antonelli said.

The 20-year-old admitted that the lack of running was particularly costly around Baku’s unforgiving street circuit. “It’s never ideal, especially at a street circuit, but overall I feel like it was a good recovery,” he explained.

Antonelli feels confident despite limited Baku running

Antonelli’s late FP2 programme included at least one brush with the barriers, but he rapidly found pace on the soft tyres and moved into second place during his final qualifying simulation.

The Italian was unable to challenge Russell’s 1:43.347, but finished 0.275s ahead of Max Verstappen. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were more than one second away from the FP2 benchmark.

Antonelli said the limited mileage had not prevented him from establishing a positive feeling with the W17. “I feel quite good in the car. Obviously, there are a few things to work on, but I’m looking forward to tomorrow,” he added.

The complete Azerbaijan GP FP2 results confirmed a Mercedes one-two, with Russell completing a sweep of Thursday practice.

Antonelli confirms Mercedes briefly caught fire

Antonelli also clarified the unusual scenes that followed his FP1 stoppage. Marshals covered the rear of the Mercedes with extinguisher foam while recovering the car, with some of the spray also hitting the driver.

Kravitz asked whether Antonelli had been telling the marshals to stop and leave the car. The Mercedes driver revealed that his reaction had meant precisely the opposite.

Antonelli confirmed that he was encouraging the marshals to continue because a small fire had developed around the car. “No, actually, I wanted them to spray a bit more because, unfortunately, I caught a bit of fire,” he said.

The Italian added that the flames did not cause significant damage. “Luckily, it didn’t do much damage. I was just encouraging them to go, but they did what they could,” Antonelli explained.

His account updates the circumstances behind the extinguisher shower that followed his FP1 hydraulic failure. Initial footage had not clearly shown flames, but Antonelli has now confirmed that a small fire was present.

Mercedes has not indicated that the engine change will result in a grid penalty. Antonelli therefore enters Friday’s qualifying day in second place on the practice timesheets and with an 81-point lead over Russell in the championship.

Formula 1 returns on Friday with FP3 at 09:30 UK and 04:30 ET, followed by qualifying at 13:00 UK and 08:00 ET. The Azerbaijan GP starts on Saturday at 12:00 UK and 07:00 ET.

GRANDE PRÊMIO follows every session of the Azerbaijan GP LIVE and in REAL TIME.

FAQ

Why did Kimi Antonelli miss track time in Baku?

Antonelli stopped with a hydraulic failure during FP1. Mercedes then changed his engine, delaying his participation in FP2 until the second half of the session.