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Kimi Antonelli was ‘very lucky’ in Piastri collision as he claims career-best Grand Prix result in Sao Paulo
In a standout weekend at the 2025 Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos, rookie Kimi Antonelli delivered the finest result of his career by finishing second — a major milestone for the young Mercedes‑AMG Petronas F1 Team driver. His achievement, however, was tinged with relief rather than celebration. During the restart after a Safety Car, Oscar Piastri attempted an ambitious inside pass on Antonelli into Turn 1, locking up and making contact that clipped Antonelli and crashed Charles Leclerc’s car from the outside. Antonelli acknowledged he was fortunate to emerge unscathed, saying the three-wide situation was chaotic and he “just tried to give space” to both rivals. He then held off a late charge from Max Verstappen to secure the podium, marking his most complete weekend yet.
The Key points
- Antonelli celebrated his career-best F1 finish — P2 at Interlagos.
- The defining moment occurred at the Turn 1 restart when Piastri locked up trying to pass inside Antonelli.
- Antonelli found himself caught between Piastri on the inside and Leclerc on the outside — a triple fight into one corner.
- He said he “didn’t really see the crash” but knew he got hit when Piastri locked up.
- Leclerc’s race ended due to the contact; the Ferrari suffered damage and retired on the spot.
- Despite the scare, Antonelli kept his composure, managed tyre wear and defended well in dirty air to hold off Verstappen’s late surge.
- Antonelli described the weekend as his “most complete” so far — strong pace, qualifying, sprint and race execution.
- Piastri received a 10-second time penalty for his role in the collision, adding consequence to the incident.
- The result helps Mercedes’ campaign in the Constructors’ standings, thanks to Antonelli’s strong points haul.
- Antonelli acknowledged there is still much to learn — he referenced wheel-spin on the restart and admitted the situation could have gone differently.
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