Kimi Antonelli’s Spin and Car Instability Cost Brazil GP Victory, Despite Mercedes Securing Constructors’ Title

Kimi Antonelli said he would set aside his frustration from the Brazilian Grand Prix after his teammate helped Mercedes clinch the Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship, despite a spin and balance problems that cost him the win.

Antonelli, the new world champion, seized the lead from pole‑sitter Lando Norris at the start and built a comfortable gap in the opening laps. He maintained the advantage around the first pit‑stop cycle on slicks, although Norris’s undercut narrowed the gap significantly.

On lap 20, however, Antonelli lost rear grip at the first corner, spun, and fell behind Norris, who had already established a commanding lead. The Italian recovered but was left battling Isack Hadjar for second place.

Before the incident Antonelli reported a suspected suspension issue and a pulling sensation under acceleration, describing the car’s balance as erratic. The problem cost him further positions to Hadjar and Max Verstappen, though no definitive cause was identified during the race.

“I’m disappointed and angry about the race, but I’ll put it aside because the team has secured the title,” he said.

“We’ve delivered the Constructors’ Championship for the team, and I’m proud to be part of a group that has done so much for me. While I’m happy for everyone, the race result is very disappointing.”

Lando Norris, McLaren, Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Photo by: Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images

“We were on target for a win up to that point. Once I got the tyres up to temperature I was finding a good rhythm, but the sudden spin remains a mystery – I don’t know why the rear lost grip so quickly. There was no warning; the car felt “weird” after the first pit stop on soft tyres, and I need to investigate what went wrong.”

In an interview with Sky Sports, Antonelli explained that the handling issue only appeared in left‑hand corners, especially at higher speeds, which dominate the first and third sectors of Interlagos. The flat‑spotted tyres from the spin worsened his lap times, but a second set of soft compounds allowed him to challenge Hadjar toward the end.

“We need to examine the rear geometry because the car was unstable only in left corners, particularly at high speed,” he added. “The rear felt very loose, even entering the final left kink. After the spin all four tyres were flat‑spotted; we regained pace with a fresh set, but it was a missed opportunity.”

Source link