Constructor champions McLaren will want to forget the Las Vegas GP as quickly as possible. After title contenders Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri finished in P2 and P4 respectively, the duo was disqualified post-race; due to excessively worn skid blocks under their cars, both were removed from the results. Several underdogs benefited from the McLarens’ downfall, including Kimi Antonelli, who moved up to his third podium of the season.
Kimi Antonelli drove a stellar race in Las Vegas. After a disappointing qualification, he started from the seventeenth position, but he skillfully worked his way up during the race. Even with a time penalty, the Mercedes rookie fought his way back to fifth place. However, due to the disqualifications of Norris and Piastri, he inherited a spot on the podium. This is already the third time this year that Antonelli has made it to the podium. During the race, however, he hardly thought about the top three. “I was very worried,” he admitted with relief. “Especially when I heard that we had to execute plan B and realized that I had to finish the race on the same set of tires. So, of course, I tried to preserve them as best as I could.”
However, his Mercedes notably struggled with graining. The young Italian, with Piastri hot on his heels, had to push hard. “When Oscar appeared behind me, I naturally had to push,” Antonelli continued. “Fortunately, the graining disappeared after that. So yes, I’m thrilled that we managed to hold on. These are important points for the team.” Teammate George Russell inherited second place from Norris, completing Mercedes’ second double podium of the year. Russell and Antonelli previously shared the podium in Montreal.
Underdogs
The 19-year-old Antonelli also learned from this impressive comeback race. “It wasn’t easy, as the grip was really bad,” he said about his long second stint. “The front started to slacken, so I really had to work with the tools and my driving style to adapt. It was far from simple, but luckily the tires held up well. I’m mainly happy that we made it to the finish line safely.”
Besides Antonelli, other ‘underdogs’ in Las Vegas also benefited. With Norris and Piastri disqualified, several midfield drivers scored valuable points in the gambling city. Carlos Sainz celebrated a commendable fifth place for Williams, and Nico Hülkenberg secured his second consecutive points finish in seventh place. Haas also did well, finishing with both drivers in the top ten.
