F1 leader Kimi Antonelli hits the wall in Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying
- On Friday, Sept. 25, 2026, championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli crashed during qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, hitting the wall at Turn 1 and sustaining terminal damage to his Mercedes.
- The Italian, who holds an 81-point lead this season, committed his first major error of the title quest by misjudging the opening corner.
- After clipping the wall, Antonelli attempted to limp back to the pits but race engineer Peter Bonnington instructed him to park the stricken machine due to suspension and wheel damage.
- Starting Saturday's race from 16th place, Antonelli now faces a grid disadvantage that allows Mercedes team-mate George Russell to potentially close the championship gap.
- Despite winning eight of 14 rounds this season, this qualifying setback marks the first significant challenge to Antonelli's world championship pursuit.
124 Articles
124 Articles
Kimi Antonelli starts from far behind at Azerbaijan's Grand Prix, the World Cup leader touched the wall early in qualifying. Max Verstappen also scored a disappointing result.
George Russell has taken pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after championship leader Kimi Antonelli crashed out in Q1 and will start 16th. The Briton was in excellent form throughout the three practice sessions and carried his speed into Q3, where he beat Ferrari's Charles Leclerc by eight-tenths of a second. McLaren's Oscar Piastre and Red Bull's Isaac Hajjar will start from the second row. World champion Lando Norris and Ferrari's Le…
Kimi Antonelli crashed into the barrier, ruining his chances of getting into a good position in Azerbaijan.
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