Home / Sports / Antonelli Battles Fever & F1 Title Nerves in Mexico
Antonelli Battles Fever & F1 Title Nerves in Mexico
1 Nov
Summary
- Antonelli struggled with illness and tension during Mexico qualifying.
- He felt tense due to constant Formula 1 title questions.
- Despite issues, Antonelli starts fourth and aims for a strong race.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli experienced a difficult qualifying session at the Mexico City Grand Prix, admitting that Formula 1 title nerves contributed to driving with unwanted tension. Earlier in the day, Antonelli was competitive, but in qualifying, he found himself behind his Mercedes teammate George Russell. He had also been battling illness throughout the weekend, missing media duties with a fever, and was still not feeling at his best.
Antonelli felt more tense than usual due to constant discussions about the F1 title. While he felt decent in Q2, he struggled to put together a clean lap on new tires in Q3, citing a lack of grip and making mistakes. Despite these challenges, he qualified in fourth place and is optimistic about the race, noting that a set of new tires was saved. He hopes for a good start and a clean run through Turn 1 to gain positions.
Looking ahead to the 71-lap race, Antonelli acknowledged that Mercedes might not match Ferrari's race pace but believes they can still perform well. He emphasized that tiredness was a significant factor, coupled with his inability to execute a perfect lap. He plans to prioritize rest, with his family arriving to provide support, aiming to disconnect and be ready for the race.
