Formula 1 champion Kimi Antonelli: joy and frustration after the São Paulo Grand Prix

Kimi Antonelli was initially battling at the front in the São Paulo Grand Prix, but in the end he had to settle for fifth place. A major reason for this was a spin that the new Formula 1 champion had at the start of the 20th lap. Although he didn’t lose too many places as a result, his tyres were ruined, as he revealed after crossing the finish line.

“We’ll have to see if there’s something wrong with the rear, because I had a problem that was particularly noticeable in the high-speed corners. It was only in the left-hand bends; the rear end felt very unsettled, even as I turned onto the home straight,” complained the Mercedes star, adding in puzzlement: “That was really strange.”

“The car felt really odd, and after I spun out, all four tyres had brake fade. It was only on the second set that I was able to get back up to my normal pace. That was a shame, of course,” Kimi added with a sigh. Later, he also admitted: “I’m very disappointed with the race, and annoyed too, but I’ll put that aside for now.”

After all, the 20-year-old from Bologna also had reason to be pleased; ultimately, the Mercedes works team was able to celebrate overall victory in the Constructors’ World Championship. “The whole team deserves it; it’s been an incredible year for everyone. Not just the people here at the track, but also the team members in Brixworth and Brackley have done a brilliant job. It’s an incredible group of people who give their all every day. That’s why they deserve this World Championship title. We’ll now celebrate this together,” explained the nine-time Grand Prix winner.

After the race, Antonelli also had to report to the stewards because there had nearly been a collision in the pit lane with Franco Colapinto’s Alpine car as the champion pulled away after his pit stop. The stewards handed him a 5-second time penalty, which, however, will not affect his race result because his lead over sixth-placed Oscar Piastri at the finish was more than 20 seconds.