P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Kimi Antonelli’s hotly anticipated official Formula 1 debut started with him briefly sitting atop the times and ended dramatically with a heavily damaged Mercedes in the wall and five laps to his name
Kimi Antonelli’s highly anticipated official Formula 1 debut started off well, briefly leading the timesheets, but it ended dramatically with his Mercedes heavily damaged in the wall after just five laps at the Italian Grand Prix FP1. Despite the crash at Parabolica, the young driver reported he was okay over the radio. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff emphasized that a single FP1 mishap doesn’t determine a driver’s future with the team, highlighting the importance of hiring based on ability. Antonelli’s strong potential was evident with his speed and comfort in attacking corners, but his overambitious mistake leading to the crash also underscored the risks of placing a young and inexperienced driver in a top F1 team like Mercedes. Wolff acknowledged the incident as part of the learning curve for Antonelli and expressed confidence in the young driver’s growth and future performances.
