AUSTIN SHOCK: KIMI ANTONELLI’S COOLING VEST FAILS MID-SESSION IN SWELTERING HEAT
Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli reveals a cooling vest malfunction caused him to overheat during US GP Sprint Qualifying. The failure caused the vest to warm him instead of cooling him down on a hot Texas day.
During sprint qualifying for the US Grand Prix, Kimi Antonelli overheated due to an uncommon cooling vest malfunction.
At the Circuit of the Americas, Antonelli had a challenging sprint qualifying session and did not go past SQ2.
Mercedes did not seem to have the same speed as McLaren or Red Bull, in contrast to Singapore.
Antonelli was eliminated early and was scheduled to start the sprint race from 11th on the grid, while teammate George Russell advanced into SQ3.
Antonelli revealed after the session that he was overheated during sprint qualifying due to a new cooling vest.
The FIA designated this weekend to be a "heat danger" before Friday's action.
Drivers were therefore given the choice to wear a specially made cooling vest, which will be required starting in the upcoming season.
"I had a few physical concerns, so I battled in the automobile," Antonelli stated. To be honest, though, the car felt terrific, and I had faith in the SQ2.
"I had a lot of trouble in the session because I was wearing the cooling vest, and we had a malfunction, so instead of chilling, it warmed me up."
Antonelli's pain was not the only factor in his subpar sprint qualifying performance.
Throughout the practice, the 19-year-old also had trouble with frequent brake lockup.
Antonelli continued, "I just need to figure out why I suffered so much with locking."
"SQ1 felt good, so it is clearly incredibly frustrating. However, I just had trouble locking. I lost a significant amount of time due to two large lock-ups on the lap.
"We will now concentrate on Saturday, but I am sad because I had the pace to be in SQ3."
Hulkenberg is described by Russell as "a great surprise".
Russell will start the sprint race on Saturday in fifth place.
Nico Hulkenberg of Sauber, Friday's most notable qualifier, defeated him.
Russell said that the team's sprint qualifying day "was not a nice day".
"Nico [Hulkenberg] finished P4 after an incredible lap. Russell clarified, "I believe that was a great surprise, so congrats to him."
However, as we have sort of been saying all year, we are P5 on terrible days and in the battle on good ones, and today was not one of those days. We recently received P5. Sprint races can be challenging at times. We might have a better race car than our qualification car, in my opinion.
We are having a lot of trouble at high speeds, but I believe that the car could be a little faster if you drive a little more slowly during the race, and the speed is not as low to the ground.
However, I believe that we are currently in the midst of the battle for P4.
SERGIO PEREZ BREAKS SILENCE ON CADILLAC’S FIRST FOUR RACES OF 2026 F1 SEASON
Discover why Sergio Perez is confident in Cadillac’s 2026 path despite urgent needs for better pace and reliability fixes.
Sergio Perez didn’t waste time sharing his thoughts on Cadillac after the first four races of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Cadillac shows up in 2026 as F1’s newest team, but honestly, not a lot of people expected fireworks right away. With veterans like Valtteri Bottas and Perez behind the wheel, the team’s start has been a mix, some moments full of promise, others derailed by reliability issues.
Still, Cadillac isn’t just stuck at the back. Lately, they’ve been right there fighting with Aston Martin and even managed to split them in Miami, which turned a few heads.
Perez knows the team is at risk of falling behind in this crazy-fast development race, though. “We still have work to do, but I’m confident we’re on the right path,” he told reporters, including Motorsport Week.
He added, “Sometimes, once tyre degradation sets in, we can hang with the midfield, but they always seem to find another gear. There’s a long way to go this season, but we’re in a rush to find more pace. We know Aston will get stronger, and we don’t want to be left behind.”
Racing Aston Martin has actually brought Perez some enjoyment. He especially likes battling Fernando Alonso, calling those fights fair and satisfying. Still, he pointed out a weak spot: “We’re having fun with them. Racing Fernando is always great because he’s so fair. But we struggled with tyre degradation; we burnt through them too quickly. We picked the hard compound, but honestly, looking back, I should’ve gone with the soft.”
He said there’s plenty to analyse, and really, the key is getting a better grip on their car as they look ahead to Canada. “We don’t have much time, but in the short term, we need to fix the degradation. We have some ideas, but putting them together is our biggest challenge in the next few weeks.”
Cadillac may be the new kid on the block and still finding its feet, but it’s already starting to make an impact. The road out of the lower ranks won’t be easy, but they’re moving in the right direction.
HOW KIMI ANTONELLI’S THREE-RACE WIN STREAK IS REDEFINING THE MERCEDES TEAM HIERARCHY
With a 43-second gap in Miami, Antonelli proves he’s ready to lead the World Championship. Can Russell bounce back in Canada?
David Coulthard, the former Formula 1 driver, recently pointed out that Kimi Antonelli might be on track to overtake George Russell as Mercedes’ team leader.
Antonelli has been on an impressive run, clinching victories in the last three races and pulling ahead by 20 points over his main competitor and teammate, Russell.
At the Miami race, the young Italian once again outperformed his more seasoned teammate, with Russell managing only fourth place, trailing by 43 seconds.
Coulthard acknowledged Antonelli’s rapid rise in 2026, which is just his second season in F1. He highlighted Antonelli’s strengths and suggested that the Italian is, in many ways, now leading the Mercedes team.
“He’s come of age,” Coulthard said during the Up To Speed podcast.
Despite being relatively new, Antonelli has shown resilience, dealing not only with the pressure from a driver like Lando ready to strike but also with technical glitches like inconsistent paddle shifts. Coulthard mentioned how Antonelli kept his cool even when his engineer, Bono, was trying to help troubleshoot the issue in a tense moment.
“I think he’s earned the right to lead the World Championship,” Coulthard added, noting that this situation probably feels uncomfortable for George. Still, the expectations now lean heavily toward Antonelli leading the team, especially based on recent results.
Coulthard also pointed out that Russell has the experience and skill to reclaim his position as the team’s lead driver, but emphasised that only one can come out on top; someone must finish first and the other second.
The rivalry between them might start opening doors for other teams. Coulthard noted that improvements from McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull were already noticeable, especially in Miami.
“Winning in the best car isn’t always straightforward. Many have tried and struggled,” he said.
For Russell, who is feeling the weight of this momentum shift, the upcoming race in Canada will be crucial if he wants to close the gap and halt Antonelli’s winning streak.
