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Kimi Antonelli Reveals Strange Feeling After Strict Max Verstappen Order
Highlights
- Kimi Antonelli had a “weird” Italian GP qualifying session.
- Antonelli received back-of-the-grid penalty for engine change.
- His role was to provide a tow to teammate George Russell.
- Antonelli was instructed not to overtake Max Verstappen.
- Russell narrowly missed pole position to Pierre Gasly.
- Antonelli started 20th, leading the championship by 59 points.
Kimi Antonelli described qualifying at the Italian GP in Monza as “weird” after being ordered not to overtake Max Verstappen while executing a tow for Mercedes teammate George Russell.
A back-of-the-grid penalty for a power unit change removed any need to chase time, recasting Antonelli’s task as support under parc fermé and allocation rules.
In Q3, Mercedes tried to choreograph a final-lap slipstream. Antonelli slotted between Verstappen and Russell. When Verstappen slowed, Antonelli was instructed to hold station and not pass.
That caution protected Russell’s tow but limited Antonelli’s own lap. Russell then missed pole by a fine margin to Pierre Gasly, despite the timing of the draft.
Antonelli classified 20th once penalties applied. Alex Albon and Liam Lawson also dropped for engine changes, shuffling the order before lights out.
“It was a very weird feeling, but I had to do my job to help George.”
Mercedes loaded Antonelli with more fuel and a conservative run plan. The priority was execution without errors that could compromise Russell’s preparation lap.
Even the cooldown phase proved awkward. Managing engine modes and keeping out of the way at very low speeds demanded unusual lines and heightened awareness amid dense Q3 traffic.
Mercedes choreographed a Monza slipstream, with Antonelli acting as tow car for Russell.
Complicating matters, Verstappen’s attempt to hold Antonelli back added another variable during preparation.
The approach made sense at Monza, where slipstreaming, energy deployment, and traffic management can swing tenths. Instructing Antonelli not to pass was unusual, but strategically coherent.
Russell missed pole to Pierre Gasly, underscoring how fine the margins were.
The wider story is Mercedes’ reliance on teamwork to offset penalties and pace deficits, underlined by recent analysis of team instructions and support roles at high-speed venues.
Antonelli still leads the championship by 59 points. That position frames the stakes for his season, alongside evolving expectations and longer‑term predictions.
With Russell narrowly short of pole and Antonelli starting deep, Mercedes faces a demanding race. Clean execution and opportunism will decide whether qualifying compromises can be overturned.
Visual Summary
ANTONELLI
VERSTAPPEN
RUSSELL
TOW ZONE 💨
Antonelli’s Monza Qualifying: Held Back, Helping Teammate
Radio Orders:
“Do NOT pass Verstappen”
Team first: Deliver the perfect tow for Russell’s pole chase
Antonelli:
“Very weird feeling,
but I had to do my job.”
but I had to do my job.”
Heavy fuel. No mistakes. Nerves high.
🔴
P20
Antonelli’s grid start after penalty
P20
Antonelli’s grid start after penalty
Stakes high: 59-point championship lead on the line
Not about speed, but sacrifice
Team play and tension split the slipstream
How far would you go for your teammate?
Team play and tension split the slipstream
How far would you go for your teammate?
Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.
