Antonelli's Singapore GP: Missed Podium, Valuable Lessons
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, a rising star in Formula 1, recently concluded the Singapore Grand Prix with a fifth-place finish. While this marks his second consecutive top-five placement, the young driver expressed disappointment over missed opportunities for a podium finish, attributing it to several key mistakes made during the challenging street circuit event. His performance, however, still garnered positive remarks for his notable progress and strategic race craft.
Antonelli demonstrated promising speed throughout the qualifying sessions at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, a track he was experiencing for the first time. He secured impressive fifth and third positions in Q1 and Q2, respectively, consistently trailing his Mercedes teammate George Russell by just a tenth of a second. However, a crucial misstep in Q3 saw him qualify fourth, nearly four-tenths adrift of Russell, who ultimately clinched pole position.
Reflecting on the qualifying outcome, Antonelli admitted, “I was a bit disappointed with yesterday because I felt I just overdrove. If I had controlled myself a little bit more, trying to do clean laps, it would have been a different story. I would have started further forward and it probably would have been a different race today.” This honest self-assessment highlights his awareness of the fine margins that separate a strong performance from an exceptional one in Formula 1.
Another critical error occurred at the start of the race. Starting from the dirtier side of the grid, Antonelli allowed Lando Norris to box him in, which gave Charles Leclerc an advantageous position on the outside. This tactical misjudgment meant Antonelli spent a significant portion of the race battling behind Leclerc's Ferrari. He later conceded, “My mistake in Turn 1 was to try and hold on to Norris. Then I found myself way too on the inside and Leclerc had a much better run on the outside.”
Despite these initial setbacks, Antonelli showcased commendable race pace and strategic thinking. He patiently managed his tires and eventually found the opportune moment to overtake Leclerc on lap 53 at Turn 16. His move was lauded by Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, who noted, “The manoeuvre on Leclerc was strong. It wasn't caught by the cameras, but we could see on the telemetry a huge braking event, that there was so much pressure in the system that it started to oscillate.”
While Antonelli finished a considerable distance behind the race winner and Oscar Piastri, his top-five finish contributed significantly to his season's points tally, collecting 22 points in the last two Grands Prix—surpassing his total from the previous ten rounds. Wolff emphasized Antonelli's critical self-evaluation, noting that the young driver tends to focus on what could have been better, viewing the fifth-place finish as a lost podium opportunity rather than a victory in itself. This perspective, according to Wolff, underscores Antonelli's drive for continuous improvement and his potential for future success in the sport.
Antonelli's outing in Singapore serves as a testament to his burgeoning talent and his readiness to learn from experience. His ability to recover from early race errors and execute a decisive overtake on a seasoned competitor like Leclerc bodes well for his future in Formula 1. The focus now shifts to refining his qualifying performance and race starts to convert raw speed into consistent podium finishes.