Andrea Kimi Antonelli crashed out of qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Saturday (20/9/2025), leaving him 16th on the grid. The incident evoked memories of Oscar Piastri's nightmare weekend in Baku last year, which derailed his title challenge.
Twelve months ago, Piastri arrived in Azerbaijan with a 31-point lead over McLaren teammate Lando Norris. But a qualifying crash and a first-lap collision left him pointless. His form nosedived thereafter, and he ultimately lost the championship to Norris by 13 points, finishing third.
Now, Antonelli finds himself in a similar predicament. The 20-year-old Italian leads the standings by 81 points over Mercedes teammate George Russell. However, his Q1 crash means he will start from the back, while Russell claimed a dominant pole position.
The mistake at Turn 1 saw Antonelli lose control and hit the wall. He described it as "a good way to come back to earth," acknowledging the error.
Former F1 driver Jamie Chadwick, speaking on Sky Sports F1, said: "Kimi is always all-in. Last year we saw mistakes like this, but not this year. So it felt like the Kimi of old."
1997 F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve added: "It's not a small mistake, it's a big one. He did it on a weekend where his teammate was in a league of his own."
With an 81-point cushion, Antonelli has room to recover. But he must avoid the trap that snared Piastri and let one error snowball into a series of mistakes. The race in Baku will test his mental resilience and strategic nous.
Baca Juga
Andrea Kimi Antonelli mengalami kecelakaan di kualifikasi F1 Azerbaijan, start ke-16. Meski demikian, ia tetap fokus pada balapan dan memimpin klasemen dengan keunggulan 81 poin.
Esteban Ocon gagal ke Q3 di Grand Prix Azerbaijan akibat yellow flag. Ia mengungkapkan frustrasi dan kekecewaannya setelah melalui musim penuh rintangan bersama Haas.
Lando Norris kesulitan kecepatan puncak di kualifikasi F1 Baku. Masalah injeksi bahan bakar dan defisit dari Mercedes jadi sorotan McLaren.
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