Antonelli Explains Crash Incident with Verstappen at Austrian GP

Andrea Kimi Antonelli has provided an explanation for his collision with Max Verstappen at Turn 3 of the Austrian GP opening lap — an incident that forced both drivers to retire from the race.

The 18-year-old Mercedes driver clarified that the crash wasn’t caused by late braking, but rather by locked rear brakes.

“I didn’t brake too late, but when I braked hard because I was behind other cars, the rears locked up. I couldn’t stop the car and had to avoid Lawson. By then it was too late because the speed was too high — the car was gaining speed and the crash was unavoidable,” Antonelli explained to Sky Sports.

Accepting responsibility, the Italian driver apologized to the Mercedes team and Verstappen. He also acknowledged the possibility of receiving a penalty for next week’s British GP.

“I feel very sorry for the team and of course for Max. It’s a big mistake, now we need to focus on Silverstone and try to perform like we did in Canada,” he added.

This incident comes after Antonelli’s first F1 podium with a third-place finish in Canada two weeks ago, behind his teammate George Russell who won the race.