Antonelli calls Baku his “worst weekend” of 2026 despite recovery to fifth

Summary

Antonelli described Baku as his worst weekend of the season.
He recovered 11 places after crashing in qualifying.
The Mercedes driver said contact at a Safety Car restart damaged his car’s floor.

Kimi Antonelli called the Azerbaijan Grand Prix his “worst weekend, by far, of the season” despite recovering from 16th on the grid to finish fifth on Saturday. The championship leader said a qualifying crash had affected his confidence and that the race became an exercise in limiting the points lost to Mercedes teammate George Russell.

Antonelli’s weekend began with a technical problem that restricted his running in practice. He then hit the wall at Turn 1 during Q1, ending his qualifying session while Russell went on to take pole. Antonelli gained 11 places in the Baku race, but said he lacked the pace to climb higher.

“I felt always a step behind,” he said. “Today was about damage limitation.” Antonelli added that contact with Haas driver Oliver Bearman at a Safety Car restart caused significant damage to the floor of his Mercedes, making the rest of the race more difficult.

Russell won ahead of Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar, collecting 25 points to Antonelli’s 10. Antonelli remains in front in the Drivers’ Championship with 302 points, 66 ahead of Russell, after arriving in Baku with an 81-point advantage.

Antonelli said the weekend had taught him lessons about both his driving and his approach. He will seek to recover his form at the next round, the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, scheduled for 2–4 October.

F1 today: FAQ

When is the next F1 race after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix?

The Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia takes place at Sepang on Sunday, 4 October 2026. The race starts at 08:00 BST, 03:00 US Eastern time and 15:00 in Malaysia.

Who leads the 2026 F1 championship after Baku?

Kimi Antonelli leads with 302 points, 66 ahead of Mercedes teammate George Russell, who has 236. Russell reduced the gap by 15 points with his Azerbaijan GP victory.

What penalty will Franco Colapinto serve at the next F1 race?

Colapinto has a five-place grid penalty for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia after causing the Baku collision involving Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris.