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Kimi Antonelli Calls Azerbaijan GP Qualifying Crash a ‘Very Stupid’ Mistake

Posted : 25 September 2026

Kimi Antonelli admitted he made a “very stupid” mistake in qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after crashing into the wall and ending his session early in Baku.

The Mercedes driver lost control at Turn 1 during Q1, damaging the front-left suspension and forcing him to stop on track. Although his opening lap was fast enough to advance, the damage prevented him from taking part in Q2, leaving him 16th on the grid for Saturday’s race.

Antonelli said he misjudged the change in grip between his first and second laps, describing the incident as unnecessary and expressing his frustration with himself.

The 20-year-old Italian arrived in Baku leading George Russell by 81 points in the championship after winning eight of the season’s first 14 races. His qualifying error now gives Russell an opportunity to reduce the gap, with the Briton starting from pole after producing a lap 0.837 seconds faster than Charles Leclerc.

Antonelli’s weekend had already been complicated by reliability problems during Thursday’s practice sessions. A hydraulic issue limited his running, leaving him with less track time than expected as he tried to prepare for qualifying.

Despite the setback, Antonelli has already demonstrated his ability to recover from difficult grid positions. At the Italian Grand Prix earlier this month, he started 19th following a grid penalty but fought through the field to claim victory.

Russell’s pole position gives him a significant opportunity in the championship battle, although Antonelli will start Saturday’s race with plenty of time to recover positions on Baku’s long straights. The Mercedes driver has acknowledged that he must avoid further incidents while attempting to climb through the field.

 

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