What led to Antonelli’s accident

(Motorsport-Total.com) – The accident of Mercedes Friday driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli is the topic of the day at the start of the 2024 Italian Grand Prix in Monza (follow all sessions here in the Formula 1 live ticker!). Because the entire paddock is asking itself: How could it have come to an accident in the Alboreto curve (formerly Parabolica)? The telemetry data from the Mercedes W15 now provide some insight.

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Mercedes Friday driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli after his accident in Monza 2024

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Of course, Antonelli's second flying lap, which ended in the tire stack, is particularly interesting. And on this lap he was already virtually ahead compared to his first lap, which he completed in 1:23.955 minutes – making him the fastest at the time.

It is not unusual for a driver to gain ground on the second attempt. But what is remarkable is how much Antonelli has improved. From the middle sector onwards he applied a lot of pressure.

The Mercedes data shows: Antonelli came through the second Lesmo corner at 184 km/h, seven km/h faster than Red Bull driver Max Verstappen in his best lap, which was timed at 1:21.676 minutes.

Similar game in the Ascari chicane: Antonelli swept through the famous passage at 190 km/h, Verstappen only managed 176 km/h in his fastest attempt. And with this speed, Verstappen was not an isolated case: Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes (177 km/h), Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari (178) and Lando Norris in the McLaren (179) were also considerably slower than Antonelli.

The high speed in the middle sector takes its toll

This means that all other Formula 1 drivers were driving slower than Antonelli in the sections mentioned. And his hard driving had consequences: the rear tires in particular overheated, as a Mercedes analysis showed. When Antonelli arrived at the Alboreto corner, the grip on the rear axle was practically non-existent. And that's why his car spun away so abruptly at the corner entrance.

“The car couldn't handle what he did,” says Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff. “I suspect it just got to him. Everyone had problems with the temperatures here, especially with the rear wheels and in the Ascari chicane and at this speed. That's why the rear of his car broke away.”

The incident can certainly be attributed to the fact that Antonelli has significantly less experience with the Pirelli tires than the regular Formula 1 drivers. This explains why he drove much more aggressively than his competitors, who were more restrained coming out of Lesmo 2 and in the Ascari chicane.

But Wolff is not dissatisfied with what happened before the departure: “What we saw in these one and a half laps was simply astonishing. And we would rather slow him down than give him legs!”

How Antonelli himself comments on the accident

There was initially no comment from Antonelli himself on the accident. Mercedes shielded the young driver so that he could collect himself in peace. The team later sent out a short statement from Antonelli.

It says: “What a day! I've just finished my first training session. Unfortunately, it ended pretty quickly because of the crash.”

The accident was “simply a mistake on my part,” Antonelli stressed. “I simply pushed too hard for these conditions and should have built up my attempt more steadily. But I definitely learned a lesson for next time.”

He is “still very grateful” to Mercedes for the opportunity and he is “really sorry that I.” [dem Team] “I've prepared so much work,” Antonelli continues. “I'm not feeling great at the moment. But I'm going back now and trying to rest and focus on the rest of the weekend.

Antonelli's main focus this weekend is on Formula 2, where he is one of the regular drivers. With four events to go, he is in seventh place overall after two race wins.