Kimi Antonelli takes full duty for the conflict which ended Charles Leclerc’s Dutch Grand Prix.
The Mercedes teen, who only a few laps earlier had swapped positions along with his teammate George Russell after he incurred harm in a conflict with the Ferrari, was making an attempt to overhaul the Monegasque on the within at Flip 3 and understeered into the aspect of his automobile, leading to vital harm and its subsequent retirement.
To the stewards it was clear that Antonelli was wholly and predominantly accountable for the collision and so they accordingly imposed a ten second time penalty.
“I simply noticed it,” the teen informed reporters at race finish, having seen a replay on TV. “It is a disgrace as a result of the tempo was good,” he continued. “We have been coming again in entrance. I knew that was in all probability the very best likelihood I needed to make the transfer as a result of I used to be very near him.
“He had colder tyres and I simply tried the transfer, but it surely was a bit an excessive amount of,” he admitted. “Once I noticed him, he was coming again in entrance, I attempted to let it go, but it surely was not sufficient.
“I went for it as a result of it is so tough to overhaul,” he continued. “The extra laps you do in soiled air, the extra it hurts your tyres and your tempo. So I went for it and it was a bit an excessive amount of.
“I simply tried in some unspecified time in the future to let it go, but it surely was not sufficient. Clearly, I really feel sorry to him and subsequent time, I’ll in all probability assume twice earlier than making the transfer, until I am 100% positive that I’ll stick it.”
“I believe it is a mistake from Kimi,” mentioned Leclerc, who watched the rest of the race from the aspect of the observe, near the place the incident occurred. “You have to be very aggressive on a observe like this to overhaul, which I believe he tried to be aggressive.
“Perhaps it was a bit an excessive amount of, and he went on to the touch my rear left, and that was the top of my race, so it is disappointing,” he added. “I would not describe it as a rookie mistake, I believe it is a mistake which may occur within the first yr or the fifth yr. Once more, as I mentioned, on a observe like this, it’s good to be aggressive, however that was an excessive amount of.”
Speaking of aggressive, it was an all-out assault on Russell earlier within the race that compromised the Briton’s afternoon, damaging his automobile and subsequently inflicting Mercedes to order him to swap positions with Antonelli.
“It was aggressive,” admitted Leclerc, “however we’re combating for a spot within the championship. For the constructors, particularly. For the drivers, I do not actually care, so I am going to all the time be aggressive like that.
“It was on the restrict, however I knew I would not have many alternatives after that,” he insisted. “He defended the within, I went for the skin, I do not assume he anticipated me to go for the skin, after which he did the nook similar to if I wasn’t there, so then we touched.”
The stewards opted to take no additional motion over the incident, each drivers having claimed that it was a racing incident.
Nevertheless, aside from the 10-second penalty, the stewards meted out one other 5-seconds to Antonelli for rushing within the pitlane.
“The pace restrict is one thing I want to verify it would not occur once more,” the Italian admitted. “I am not too positive after I did it, but it surely was in all probability the primary pit cease, so we have to make it possible for would not occur. Additionally, the late security automobile was unlucky as a result of I already had virtually a 10-second hole over the man behind, and it could have been potential to complete P6 or P7.”
Take a look at our Sunday gallery from Zandvoort right here.
