Kimi Antonelli’s determination remained intact despite enduring one of the most frustrating afternoons of his rookie F1 season at the British GP.
The Mercedes teenager looked capable of fighting for victory before mechanical trouble dramatically changed the course of his race.
A late pit stop left him behind Charles Leclerc, and shortly after switching to fresh tyres, a failure of the front-left wheel shield left his car badly compromised.
Despite the damage, Antonelli rejected the opportunity to retire the car when race engineer Peter Bonnington presented the option over team radio.
Instead, he pressed on in the hope of rescuing championship points or any possible reward, making two further pit stops as he battled to reach the chequered flag.
Antonelli eventually finished ninth on the road, but a five-second penalty for repeated track limits breaches – committed while wrestling the damaged car – demoted him to 15th in the final results, leaving him without points.
“I lost I don’t know how much downforce, the car wouldn’t turn anymore,” said Antonelli.
“In some of the corners, the wheel was in the air, so there was something fundamental that was broken.
“We only know now that the wheel shield broke, but we don’t know if something else broke, because by the loss it feels like it was more than just a wheel shield, but then, of course, the team will have more time to analyse it.
“But it was a shame, because we had a shot for the win today. I think we were going for it.
“I just showed that I have the mindset that I try every time I go on track, I do my best, that I try to give everything.
“And that even today, despite things that were already going against us, I saw there was the possibility to get one point.
“And I was just trying my best to achieve that, and I was going to achieve that. But then the safety car came. I just didn’t really have the possibility to even try for that.”
