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Mercedes admits blame for Antonelli's British GP failure
🇸🇬 Singapore /Sports

Mercedes admits blame for Antonelli's British GP failure

From CNA · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Mercedes takes responsibility for driver Kimi Antonelli's poor performance at the British Grand Prix, where a mechanical failure ended his potential victory.
  • Team boss Toto Wolff cited a broken front wheel shield as the cause, which affected the car's handling and led to a retirement command.
  • Antonelli's hopes for points were further dashed by a post-race penalty for track limits, dropping him significantly in the standings.

Mercedes has admitted fault for Kimi Antonelli's disappointing British Grand Prix result, where a mechanical issue thwarted his strong performance. Antonelli, who started on pole, was a contender for victory at Silverstone until a failure in his car's front wheel shield forced him to retire with 11 laps remaining.

Team principal Toto Wolff stated that the team's strategists had calculated Antonelli could have challenged for the win had the mechanical problem not occurred. The issue, stemming from debris lodged in the front wheel assembly, severely impacted the car's steering. The team attempted to rectify the problem with two pit stops before instructing Antonelli to withdraw.

It's on us. A car should not break.

— Toto WolffThe Mercedes team boss took responsibility for the car's mechanical failure during the British Grand Prix.

Despite the mechanical failure, Antonelli initially resisted retiring, hoping to salvage points. However, a post-race penalty for exceeding track limits, applied after he finished ninth on the road, dropped him to 16th. This result narrowed his lead over teammate George Russell to 25 points. Wolff emphasized that the car's failure was unacceptable, stating, "A car should not break."

I just showed that I have the mindset that I try every time I go on track, I do my best, that I try to give everything. Despite things that were already going against us, I saw there was the possibility to get one point.

— Kimi AntonelliThe young driver reflected on his determination despite the car's issues and the eventual penalty.

Antonelli himself reported feeling an immediate issue with the car, noting a lift at the front during certain corners. Despite the setbacks, he expressed a determination to salvage points and demonstrated a strong mindset. "I just showed that I have the mindset that I try every time I go on track, I do my best, that I try to give everything,” he told reporters. "Despite things that were already going against us, I saw there was the possibility to get one point."

Mercedes plans to fully dismantle Antonelli's car at their factory to thoroughly investigate the cause and consequences of the failure. Wolff confirmed the team is committed to understanding the incident to prevent future occurrences and ensure a stronger comeback.

We're going to take the whole car back to the factory in order to take it apart there to really see where it happened, how it happened, and why we had so severe consequences of him not being able to turn it.

— Toto WolffWolff detailed the team's plan to investigate the mechanical failure thoroughly.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by CNA in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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