The Formula 1 weekend in Austin did not go as hoped for Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The young Italian saw his race at the Circuit of the Americas go awry early on after an incident with Carlos Sainz in lap 7. While Sainz had to retire, Antonelli was able to continue his race, but he ultimately finished outside the points in thirteenth place.
Antonelli started the race from P7, with Sainz starting just behind him at P9. In the second lap, the Williams driver overtook Oliver Bearman, and a few laps later, he collided with Antonelli in turn 15. Sainz braked late, locked his wheels, and hit Antonelli’s Mercedes. The incident marked the end of the race for the Spaniard, while Antonelli was able to continue with minor damage.
After the race, Antonelli expressed his frustration to Sky Sports and did not spare Sainz: “I’ve seen the footage and I don’t even think he would have made the turn without me. He was far too optimistic and also locked his wheels. Looking at the angle of his car, he was heading straight for the wall. He wasn’t even facing the right direction. It’s just a shame that my race was ruined like this — and his as well.”
Grid Penalty for Sainz
The race stewards ruled that Carlos Sainz was the cause of the incident and imposed a ten-second time penalty on him. Since the Williams driver could not serve the penalty due to his retirement, it is automatically converted into a five-place grid penalty for the Grand Prix of Mexico. In addition, Sainz receives two penalty points on his super license, bringing his total to four out of twelve points. This is not an ideal prospect for the Spaniard heading into the race weekend in Mexico City.
