Method 1 championship chief Kimi Antonelli was left feeling ‘emotionally empty’ after his late retirement on the Barcelona Grand Prix, which sparked reliability considerations at Mercedes.
The 19-year-old was working second behind Lewis Hamilton earlier than struggling an engine failure that induced Antonelli to retire with three laps remaining on Sunday.
Learn Additionally:
That handed the runner-up spot to team-mate George Russell, who additionally suffered an engine failure whereas main in Montreal two races in the past – each are anticipated to be battery associated.
So, though Mercedes has made a dominant begin to the 2026 regulation change, successful six of seven grands prix, there are nonetheless considerations as Hamilton’s Ferrari group makes an attempt to shut the hole on the entrance.
“I did not see it coming,” mentioned Antonelli of his Barcelona retirement. “Unexpectedly I used to be on the apex of Flip 5 and the automotive simply gave up. Is what it’s, it is a part of racing, so there’s nothing we will do about it.
“It’s kind of of a priority as a result of we have had fairly a number of points up to now within the yr, so our bundle is admittedly robust. It is a level that we have to work on as a result of we’re dropping so many factors in this sort of race.
“However I really feel very empty emotionally proper now as a result of I am nonetheless making an attempt to unravel what has simply occurred.”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Photograph by: Andy Hone/ LAT Pictures through Getty Pictures
The retirement meant Antonelli all of a sudden misplaced out on 18 factors, inflicting his championship lead over Hamilton to scale back from 59 to 41 immediately – that means the title struggle is way from carried out.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff expressed comparable considerations over the rising reliability problem, although bother additionally hit Hamilton’s team-mate Charles Leclerc who misplaced the ability steering on his Ferrari late within the Barcelona contest.
“We won’t DNF vehicles in a sort of common, or continued approach,” Wolff mentioned. “Dropping 25 factors in a Constructors’ Championship in Montreal, and dropping one other 18 factors at present.
“To be able to end first, first you need to end and reliability, that is what we have to get on high of. That is primary. So no person’s comfortable about that and we’ll depart no stone unturned to grasp.
“You see on the finish of the highway you’ve gotten 25 factors and it is large open. That is why we will not afford to not end and we have to simply hold placing efficiency on the automotive and on the ability unit, not make errors, be intelligent with the technique and keep completely on it.”
Pictures from Barcelona-Catalunya GP – Sunday
Learn Additionally:
We would like your opinion!
What would you prefer to see on Motorsport.com?
– The Motorsport.com Group
