Antonelli Owns Up to Mistake in Dramatic F1 Practice Debut Crash at Monza

Kimi Antonelli admits fault after major crash during his first F1 practice session

Kimi Antonelli comments on his high-speed crash in FP1, with Lewis Larkam providing the report from Monza.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli acknowledged that he was "overexerting himself" prior to the crash that concluded his F1 practice debut at the Italian Grand Prix.

The 18-year-old prodigy, anticipated to soon be announced as the successor to Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes for the 2025 season, had a stunning crash just under 10 minutes into the first practice session.

During his second attempt at a fast lap, Antonelli lost control of his Mercedes and crashed into the barriers at the Parabolica turn. The high-speed incident resulted in red flags, but the Italian driver was not injured.

Antonelli was scheduled to address the media following Friday's events, but Mercedes announced that he had to cancel these plans and return to his hotel because he was feeling sick.

"What a day it has been. We just finished the first practice session," Antonelli mentioned in a video shared by Mercedes. "Sadly, it was cut short due to a crash. It was a significant impact, approximately 52Gs."

"I deeply apologize to the team and George for causing extra work. It was my error, as I pushed too hard given the conditions. I should have gradually increased the pace. I've certainly learned from this for the future."

"However, I remain very grateful to the team for enabling this and it's wonderful to see all the tifosi present, as well as to complete the initial laps with all the other drivers on the track."

"Currently, I'm not feeling my best. I plan to return and rest to recuperate and concentrate for the remainder of the weekend since there are still some races left. We aim to achieve a strong performance."

On Friday morning, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff expressed confidence that the young driver would swiftly recover from his crash.

“It’s a pity because we had a one-hour session and we could have witnessed some impressive performances. However, as everyone mentioned, he’s a newcomer and still quite young,” Wolff explained to journalists, including those from Crash.net.

"We're putting resources into his future, and instances like these are bound to occur. They will keep happening in the coming year."

"It’s preferable to deal with the challenge of slowing him down rather than trying to increase his speed. His performance over just one and a half laps was remarkable."

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