Kimi Antonelli has apologised to Max Verstappen after their race-ending collision at the start of the Austrian Grand Prix.
The Mercedes driver has accepted responsibility for the incident, admitting he should have tweaked the brake balance of his W16 car on the approach to Turn 3.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli apologises to Max Verstappen after Austrian GP DNF
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
Verstappen suffered his first retirement of the season on Sunday in Austria after being hit by Antonelli on the opening lap.
The Mercedes rookie appeared to misjudge his braking point on entry to the slow right-hander while battling Liam Lawson and Gabriel Bortoleto, spearing into Verstappen’s Red Bull.
Verstappen said over team radio: “I’m out. I got hit like crazy. F**king idiots.”
Verstappen’s first DNF since last year’s Australian Grand Prix ended the reigning four-time World Champion’s streak of 31 consecutive points finishes, which had spanned back to Japan in 2024, with Antonelli suffering his third retirement in the last five races.
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Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com after returning to the paddock, Antonelli revealed that he apologised to Verstappen in the immediate aftermath of the incident.
And he has vowed to seek out the Red Bull driver for further apology, having accepted blame for the his mistake.
Antonelli said: “I couldn’t hear what he said, but I apologise to him and I will try to talk to him after just to explain and to apologise once more.
“I feel very sorry towards my team, because, obviously it’s a mistake from my side.
“But as well, I ended this race and this is definitely not what I want.
“It was very unfortunate.
“Probably I should have just changed the brake setting going into T3 because I had a normal start and I was just trying to maintain position,” he added.
“When I went to hit the brake, I locked the rear completely and I just lost the car.
“And when I lost the car, then obviously I was about to hit [Liam] Lawson, because obviously I lost a lot of deceleration and then I had to avoid Lawson.
“And then, when I reapply the brake, I locked front left and just couldn’t stop the car.
“It’s definitely the first mistake I do in the race start and definitely it’s a big lesson.
“I just should have changed the brake setting and none of this would have happened, so I think it’s a lesson for next time.
“I’ll try to come back stronger in Silverstone.”
Asked about the specific tweak to the brake settings he should have made before Turn 3, Antonelli added: “Just brake balance.
“Because obviously for a race start we have a brake balance set to avoid locking fronts, but obviously T3 it starts to be a strong braking even in Lap 1 and definitely the brake balance for that corner was too rearward and that was the rear locking.
“So I just should have changed the brake balance and put it a bit more forward and none of that would have happened.”
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