Why F1’s ‘Driver of the Day’ was “severely impaired” in Chinese GP
Andrea Kimi Antonelli scored points in the Chinese Grand Prix with "extensive" floor damage.
Mercedes have revealed that F1 rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli had “extensive” floor damage during his drive to eighth at the Chinese Grand Prix.
Antonelli finished P8 in Sunday’s grand prix to continue his 100% run of finishing inside the points so far during his debut F1 season. Mercedes teammate George Russell came home third to make it back-to-back podiums for him in 2025.
Mercedes suspect Antonelli picked up the damage from running over debris following Charles Leclerc’s first-lap tangle with Ferrari teammate and former Silver Arrows driver Lewis Hamilton.
Despite seeing the impact of the “massive hole in the floor” of Antonelli’s W16 in their data, Mercedes decided not to tell the 18-year-old Italian straight away.
“He had extensive floor damage,” Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said.
“We don’t know exactly why, whether he ran over Charles’s endplate, but there was a massive hole in the floor, the titanium streaks [skid plates] were gone.
“Considering he had a car which was severely impaired – holding on to it, finishing eighth, not complaining, just getting on with the job, shows the maturity and the potential he has.”
Kimi Antonelli voted F1 ‘Driver of the Day’
Antonelli won F1’s driver of the day poll, as voted for by fans, in Shanghai.
Upon being informed of the voting results by Wolff over team radio after the chequered flag, Antonelli replied: “Me?!… Yeah, that’s weird!”
Antonelli told Sky Sports F1: “I could feel something was weird from lap one.
“Yesterday the limitation was the front left, today the limitation was the rear for the whole race – which was quite unusual, I found it really weird.
“It was really hard to keep up, I was trying to look after the rears as much as possible. Mentally it was a good experience, a good lesson, because it was tough.”
The decision raised eyebrows among some, particularly given other starring performances from the likes of race-winner Oscar Piastri, Haas duo Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman, and Williams driver Alex Albon.
Mercedes sit second in the constructors’ championship on 57 points, 21 behind McLaren.
Russell lies third in the drivers’ standings, nine points adrift of championship leader Lando Norris, while Antonelli is fifth.
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