{"id":2703,"date":"2026-09-24T06:21:09","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T09:21:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/?p=2703"},"modified":"2026-09-24T06:21:10","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T09:21:10","slug":"video-antonelli-receives-an-unexpected-extinguisher-shower-after-stopping-in-baku","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/video-antonelli-receives-an-unexpected-extinguisher-shower-after-stopping-in-baku\/","title":{"rendered":"Video: Antonelli receives an unexpected extinguisher shower after stopping in Baku"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video class=\"video-js vjs-big-play-centered\" data-gp-vjs=\"1\" controls src=\"https:\/\/grandepremio-portal.b-cdn.net\/2026\/09\/Antonelli-extinguisher-Azerbaijao-TL1.mp4\"><\/video><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Antonelli suffers hydraulic failure as Mercedes stops in Azerbaijan FP1 (Video: F1 TV)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">News Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Kimi Antonelli retired from Azerbaijan GP FP1<\/strong> after reporting a hydraulic failure.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Mercedes stopped beside the circuit around halfway through the session, prompting a Virtual Safety Car.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Marshals covered the W17 with extinguisher foam as a precaution, also catching Antonelli in the spray.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kimi Antonelli\u2019s Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend suffered an early setback after a hydraulic failure forced the Formula 1 championship leader out of first practice in Baku.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Antonelli reported a loss of hydraulic pressure before slowing and parking his Mercedes beside the circuit around halfway through Thursday\u2019s session. Race control activated the <strong>Virtual Safety Car<\/strong> while marshals recovered the W17.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mercedes quickly confirmed that Antonelli would not return to the track during FP1, costing the Italian a significant amount of preparation time on a street circuit where confidence and mileage are particularly important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The incident also produced an unusual moment after Antonelli climbed from the car. Marshals used a fire extinguisher on the Mercedes as a precaution and part of the spray struck the driver, giving him an unexpected shower beside the circuit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There was no immediate indication of fire, while Antonelli walked away from the car without difficulty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hydraulic failure compounds Mercedes reliability concerns<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The stoppage is significant because Mercedes has already identified reliability as one of the remaining threats to Antonelli\u2019s championship position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Antonelli leads team-mate George Russell by <strong>81 points<\/strong>, but mechanical problems have cost both drivers opportunities during the season. The Italian previously failed to score at Silverstone after a front wheel-shield failure made his car increasingly difficult to control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Toto Wolff recently described the W17 as <strong>\u201cfragile\u201d<\/strong> and warned that Mercedes could not consider the championship decided while failures continued to interrupt otherwise competitive weekends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/mercedes-admits-w17-is-fragile-as-wolff-refuses-to-celebrate-antonelli-title-yet\/\">Mercedes reliability concerns<\/a> now carry greater relevance after Antonelli\u2019s first Baku session ended beside the track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mercedes must inspect the hydraulic system before FP2, which begins only a few hours after opening practice. Any extensive repair could further restrict Antonelli\u2019s running on Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lost mileage matters on Baku street circuit<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">FP1 is normally dedicated to establishing ride height, aerodynamic balance and braking stability around the 6.003km Baku City Circuit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The track combines slow 90-degree corners with the narrow Old City section and an exceptionally long flat-out final sector. Drivers also need to understand how the car behaves under braking after receiving a slipstream along the main straight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Antonelli\u2019s problem prevented him from completing the intended programme and gathering representative long-run information. Mercedes can use Russell\u2019s car to continue its evaluation, but differences in driving style and set-up mean that data cannot completely replace Antonelli\u2019s lost laps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The interruption comes before a particularly compressed weekend. The Azerbaijan GP is being held on Saturday, with practice beginning on Thursday and qualifying taking place on Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Antonelli cannot win the championship in Baku, but another strong result would move him closer to an earliest possible title opportunity later in the season. Russell has already <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/russell-rules-out-baku-grid-penalty-and-now-refuses-to-concede-2026-f1-title\/\">ruled out taking a power-unit penalty in Azerbaijan<\/a> and insists he will continue fighting while the title remains mathematically available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mercedes has not yet confirmed which component caused Antonelli\u2019s hydraulic loss or whether any parts must be replaced before FP2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/azerbaijan-gp-2026-full-schedule-start-times-and-how-to-watch-every-session\/\">Azerbaijan GP schedule<\/a> continues with second practice at <strong>13:00 UK and 08:00 ET on Thursday<\/strong>. Qualifying begins at <strong>13:00 UK and 08:00 ET on Friday<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">F1 today: FAQ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why is the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Saturday?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The race takes place on Saturday, September 26, because Sunday is Azerbaijan\u2019s Remembrance Day. The entire programme was moved forward, with practice on Thursday and qualifying on Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What time does the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix start?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Azerbaijan GP starts at <strong>12:00 UK, 07:00 ET and 15:00 local time<\/strong> on Saturday. It will run for 51 laps around the 6.003km Baku City Circuit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can Kimi Antonelli win the 2026 F1 championship in Azerbaijan?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes. Antonelli arrives in Baku with an <strong>81-point lead over George Russell<\/strong>, making him mathematically capable of securing the championship. To become champion, he must leave Azerbaijan at least <strong>75 points ahead<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What happened to Kimi Antonelli in Azerbaijan FP1?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Antonelli reported a loss of hydraulics and parked his Mercedes beside the track around halfway through the session. The incident triggered a Virtual Safety Car.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Championship leader Kimi Antonelli parked his W17 around halfway through first practice after reporting a loss of hydraulics, triggering a Virtual Safety Car<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1020315752,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"42wp_featured_image_caption":"Antonelli suffers hydraulic failure as Mercedes stops in Azerbaijan FP1","42wp_featured_image_credits":"F1","42wp_featured_video":"","42wp_featured_image_hidden":false,"42wp_authors_list":[{"id":7,"location":""}],"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[517,325,314,16],"42wp_author":[7],"class_list":["post-2703","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-f1","tag-azerbaijan-gp","tag-f1-2026","tag-kimi-antonelli","tag-mercedes","42wp_author-victor-martins"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2703","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2703"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2703\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2706,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2703\/revisions\/2706"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1020315752"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2703"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2703"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2703"},{"taxonomy":"42wp_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/42wp_author?post=2703"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}