Antonelli battles floor damage for impressive sixth place in Chinese GP

Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool

Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli revealed that floor damage from the first lap of the Chinese Grand Prix compromised his pace, yet he managed to secure a valuable sixth place. Initially finishing eighth, Antonelli was promoted after Ferrari’s double disqualification, despite the damage hampering his performance.

"I struggled this race, [it] was quite difficult to hold on," Antonelli explained. "Already from Lap 1 I felt that something was weird with the car, and then eventually after the race the team told me about the damage. It looks like I hit some debris and that affected the performance quite heavily. I struggled with the rear in particular after that and that was something I wasn’t expecting. It definitely hindered my pace, but it was good learning to have to deal with that."

In a race where tire degradation was a significant factor, especially in dirty air, Antonelli's ability to finish in the top 10, driving with floor damage, highlighted his skill. Despite not replicating his standout drive from P16 to fourth in Melbourne, Antonelli earned the Driver of the Day accolade in China.

Reflecting on his performance, Antonelli emphasized the importance of improving his qualifying sessions. "Overall, I’m happy with how I, and the team as a whole, have started the year," he noted. "I think one of the main points of learning for me has been Qualifying. If I can put it all together on a Saturday, then we will be starting further forward, less likely to get involved in incidents, and can maximize the pace of the car."

Currently fifth in the Driver Standings with 22 points, Antonelli trails Chinese Grand Prix winner Oscar Piastri by 12 points. Antonelli aims to refine his qualifying performance ahead of the next race weekend in Japan.

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