Antonelli takes fifth in Baku as Russell cuts his championship lead
Kimi Antonelli recovered from 16th to fifth in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, but his Mercedes team-mate George Russell cut his championship lead to 66 points.
Antonelli started 16th and finished fifth in Baku. He said overtaking was harder than he expected because cars ahead were running close together, while he did not have the pace he had enjoyed previously. He therefore eased back, hoping to gain places when other drivers made mistakes. Joking about how cautiously he drove, he compared himself to his grandmother.
Antonelli said contact with Ollie Bearman at a safety-car restart later damaged the left side of his car’s floor and made it difficult to drive. That happened after he had already changed his approach to the race.
Motorsport Week focused on Antonelli’s joke and the floor damage; RacingNews365 also detailed his early change of approach and reported that Russell gained 15 points on him in the championship. Both accounts draw on Antonelli’s post-race media comments.
Sources 02
- SOURCEKimi Antonelli drops hilarious ‘drove like my grandmother’ assessment of Baku F1 fightbackMotorsport Week · Source date as found: 2026-09-26
- SOURCEKimi Antonelli reveals mindset shift as he 'drove like his grandmother'RacingNews365 English · Source date as found: 2026-09-27
This article was produced with AI assistance. Source references make its supporting evidence traceable.
Source context
Motorsport Week and RacingNews365 use Antonelli’s post-race media remarks. The championship figures cited here come from RacingNews365.