Andrea Kimi Antonelli has addressed that he lost fourth place to Lando Norris in Formula 1‘s Qatar Grand Prix due to a genuine mistake, not a deliberate move.
Since the race’s conclusion, the Mercedes rookie has received online backlash over the incident that handed Norris an extra two-point cushion in the title battle.
Red Bull incited the social media pile-on, which began when Max Verstappen’s race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, implied that Antonelli had “let Norris through”.
Along with Lambiase, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko also alleged that the Italian’s action had been deliberate, prompting Red Bull to release a statement online.
Antonelli, who has blacked out his picture on Instagram amid death threats, explained that his error came about because he carried too much speed into Turn 9.
“I went in a bit quicker than the lap before,” Antonelli told media including Motorsport Week.
“Obviously, with dirt here, the car is more unpredictable because you have less downforce and the tyres overheat more.
“But I went in a bit quicker and just lost the rear all of a sudden. I didn’t expect it. Obviously, at such a high speed, I went off track.
“I felt comfortable because he (Norris) came with so much more pace.
“In dirt, he just couldn’t get past. I was pretty comfortable because it was even out of DRS for a couple of laps. I felt I could have held him, but I just made a mistake.”
Despite the connection between McLaren and Mercedes, Antonelli highlighted that he had no reason to allow Norris past as he was chasing a third straight podium.
“We were gaining quite a lot on Carlos [Sainz], and we were quite a bit stronger in the last sector,” he contended.
“Definitely, with two laps to go, we would have had the DRS in that lap and then probably would have had a shot in the last lap.
“But [in] the end [that] didn’t happen because I went off track and [I] just didn’t have the chance.”
How Antonelli’s podium prospects unravelled
Antonelli would have been in a prime position to capitalise on McLaren’s strategic blunder had congestion in the pit lane not seen him drop behind Sainz’s Williams.
“Yeah, it was an intense race,” he reviewed.
“I think what really compromised the race was at the pitstop, having to wait in the box to avoid any unsafe releases because everyone was coming in.
“So early on in the race, with the pack being so close, we were unfortunate because we had to hold. So then I lost the place to Carlos and then his team, too.
“With the Medium, I was a bit concerned because some graining started to appear. Just staying in those two seconds, but really hard to get close.”
The final stint on Hards allowed Antonelli to recover pace and close on Sainz ahead, which prompted the mistake that caused him to relinquish a place to Norris.
“With the Hard [tyre], I was pushing quite a lot,” he added.
“Eventually, I was getting to the DRS, but in Turn 9 had a massive moment and almost crashed. Then I went off track and lost the place to Lando, which was very annoying.”
Antonelli admits to Qatar concerns earlier in the weekend
Despite racing at the Lusail International Circuit last season in Formula 2, Antonelli conceded he struggled with the physical demands of the high-speed track.
“It was not easy, especially on the neck. It was quite hard. At the end of the day, I felt pretty okay physically.”
He explained that the weekend was a progression of adaptation to the tough circuit conditions.
“The first day here was very hard. I was very concerned because I was like, I’m not going to make it,” he recalled.
“The second day, I improved physically. The third day, I felt even better in the car.
“Definitely, this track is one of the most demanding because it’s a low deg. The last sector is a killer. You do 5G constantly, so it’s not easy. At the end of the day, I felt pretty okay.”
READ MORE – Toto Wolff blasts ‘brainless’ Red Bull claims that Kimi Antonelli aided McLaren in F1 Qatar GP
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