Kimi Antonelli experienced what he called his “worst weekend of the season” at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, held on the urban circuit of Baku.
After technical problems during free practice and an off-track excursion in qualifying that relegated him to 16th on the grid, Antonelli managed to climb up to 5th place in the race, thereby limiting the damage.
His teammate George Russell, who started from pole position, won the race, reducing Antonelli’s championship lead from 81 to 66 points.
Antonelli explained: “I still felt a bit behind, and with the qualifying mistake, my confidence wasn’t at its highest. Today, it was about limiting the damage. I also suffered significant floor damage after contact during the restart behind the safety car.”
The Italian driver hopes this weekend will remain an exception and stated: “This weekend taught me a lot. I’ll make sure we return to the right level next week.”