Antonelli qualified fourth in Baku and raced with the leading group. He used DRS and an undercut to overtake Liam Lawson, then held the position to finish fourth, his best result since his podium in Canada. He ended the race just 2.561 seconds behind Carlos Sainz.
His team-mate George Russell finished second, despite feeling unwell earlier in the weekend. Wolff revealed it had been “touch and go” whether Russell could race, but Russell pushed through and delivered an impressive P2.
Monza Aftermath and Recovery
At Monza, Antonelli started strong but ended up ninth, penalised and criticised by Wolff for an “underwhelming” display. Wolff said Antonelli had “put the car in the gravel bed … all of the race was underwhelming”.
Antonelli has said he understood the criticism. He acknowledged mistakes at the start, difficulties on the hard tyres, and loss of rhythm during the race. He described Wolff’s feedback as “fuel” to perform better.
Wolff’s View and Team Confidence
Wolff praised Antonelli’s performance in Baku, calling it “a really good rebound after Monza”. He said that after a difficult spell through the European races, returning to the front group and recording a solid fourth was important for momentum and should be built on.
He also emphasised open communication within the team: “We always speak very openly with each other; there is no such thing as holding back.”
Antonelli now looks to carry this momentum forward, aiming for clean qualifying and race weekends.
The next challenge is the Singapore Grand Prix, which will take place over 61 laps at the 5.063-kilometre Marina Bay Street Circuit on Sunday, 5 October.
