Antonelli learns from Verstappen’s restart and Hamilton’s persistence

Max Verstappen swept around the outside of Kimi Antonelli into Turn 1 at a slick-tyre restart to take the lead in the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, held at Sepang. Antonelli finished second, 2.307 seconds behind after 55 laps.

The restart followed Valtteri Bottas losing control at Turn 13 on Lap 9, bringing out the Safety Car. The neutralisation gave the intermediate runners an opportunity to switch to slicks as the circuit dried.

At the post-race press conference, Antonelli said he tries to learn whenever he is close to Verstappen or Lewis Hamilton. He described the track as slippery and said Verstappen positioned his car better, with a better feel for grip in the first two corners.

Antonelli said the overtake annoyed him, but he still wanted to use the experience in the future. His observation about Hamilton was different: he said he has seen him, over many years, keep trying for the best possible result even when things go badly.