A DNF in Imola, last in Monaco, and another DNF in Spain: things are not going smoothly for Kimi Antonelli since Formula 1 landed on European soil. After his race in Barcelona, the young Italian is disappointed, but he is already focusing on the next round in Canada. “We will take everything we have learned over the past three weeks, analyze it, and come back stronger in two weeks.”
Kimi Antonelli qualified sixth in Barcelona and seemed well on his way to six valuable points, but with eleven laps to go, his race abruptly ended: a problem with the power unit sent the Lewis Hamilton into the gravel.
This is another bitter setback for the 18-year-old driver, who has two DNFs to his name in three races. “I am disappointed with how today’s race went. It was a tough Grand Prix with the high temperatures affecting the tires. Although we did a lot of work on the long runs in FP1 and FP2 on Friday, it was still a struggle to take care of them and maintain a decent pace,” Antonelli told F1.com. “However, I still felt good in the car. I had a good pace on the medium tires and I was setting consistent lap times. It was a shame to end the day with a DNF.”
Coming Back Stronger
Antonelli started the season promisingly with several strong results. He made history in Miami as the youngest driver ever to secure pole position, albeit for the sprint race. Once back on European soil, the young Italian faced several setbacks. He crashed during the qualifying round for the Monaco Grand Prix, and starting from P15, he was unable to make a significant impact: he finished eighteenth, the last of the drivers who reached the finish line. His home race in Imola also ended in disappointment: he had to retire due to engine problems, as was the case in Spain.
“Overall, it’s been a tough triple header for us,” Antonelli concludes. “Now, however, we have some time to reset. I’m really looking forward to going to Montreal for my first Canadian Grand Prix. It’s a different circuit and a different asphalt than here in Barcelona. We’re also on the other side of the Pirelli range in terms of compounds. We will take everything we’ve learned over the past three weeks, analyze it, and come back stronger in two weeks.”
