Kimi Antonelli Apologizes to Max Verstappen After Colliding at Austrian GP

Kimi Antonelli has apologized to Max Verstappen after a dramatic opening-lap collision at the Austrian Grand Prix ended Verstappen’s race.

The chaos erupted on Lap 1. Antonelli, who’s in his rookie season with Williams, locked up under braking while battling in a tight pack and slammed into Verstappen’s Red Bull. Verstappen was forced into his first retirement of the year and watched the rest of the race from the garage.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Antonelli broke down the mistake in painful detail. “I didn’t necessarily brake too late, it’s just that when I braked hard behind other cars, I locked the rears,” he explained.

“I couldn’t stop the car. I locked the rear, lost the car, had to avoid Lawson, and by then it was too late. I started to lock the front, and instead of slowing, I was actually gaining speed. The crash was inevitable.”