Antonelli targets Austin track limits after 207 lap times are deleted

After 207 lap times were deleted in Austin’s first two practice sessions, Kimi Antonelli has a clear task for the third: learn how far he can push through a corner without crossing the track limits. The Mercedes driver said FP3 would be important for finding that boundary.

COTA’s elevation changes and the wind in some corners make the limits difficult to judge, Antonelli said. A lock-up can send a car too far, he explained, while the broad asphalt run-off and the grip from the green surface beyond some turns can encourage drivers to use more of the track. He said the FIA had tried to address the problem by moving the white lines farther out, though it remains difficult.

Antonelli exceeded the limits 13 times in Austin, but five drivers did so more often. He had four infringements in Singapore, too; he avoided a penalty after Mercedes successfully challenged one of them. Asked whether he was the king of track limits, he joked: “I wasn’t exactly the king of track limits today.”