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.
GEORGE RUSSELL ADMITS ANTONELLI IS "EXCEPTIONALLY QUICK" BUT REFUSES TO CONCEDE TITLE
Kimi Antonelli secured his 3rd straight F1 win in Miami, leaving George Russell 43 seconds behind and 20 points down in the title race. (130 chars)
George Russell isn’t flinching. He’s not ready to let go of the story, even as Kimi Antonelli keeps grabbing headlines. Antonelli’s been tearing it up this season – three straight wins, all from pole – and it’s got people talking. Miami was rough for Russell; he finished fourth, over 43 seconds behind Antonelli. That gap isn’t just big; it’s glaring, and it’s putting some real heat on their rivalry at Mercedes.
Russell isn’t pretending things are fine, but he’s not throwing in the towel either. He gets what Antonelli’s doing and gives props where they’re deserved. “He’s a fantastic driver, and he’s been fast since day one,” Russell said. “You don’t win all those championships as a kid if you’re not quick.” He means it, but he’s also drawing a boundary. Russell still believes in himself, and he’s not giving up on the championship.
“I’ve still got confidence in myself, and I haven’t forgotten how to drive,” he said with a little smile. “It’s just a tricky patch, but we’re only four races in; there’s a lot more to come. We’ll sort things out over the next few weeks.”
That “tricky patch” doesn’t just mean some tough luck; it includes a 20-point deficit and a teammate who won’t stop rewriting history. Antonelli’s winning streak has changed the vibe at Mercedes, at least for now.
Russell knows all about momentum and how it doesn’t always stick around. “He’s got momentum right now; he’s flying,” Russell admitted. “But I’ve won championships myself, and I know momentum swings back and forth all year.” He actually doesn’t seem bothered by the points gap. “Honestly, I’m not even thinking about it,” he said.
It’s a calm answer from a guy who’s been here before, leaning on experience while Antonelli rides his hot streak. Russell keeps saying 'big picture, patience, not panic'.
“I just want to get back on top of the podium,” he said. “I had the pace for the first three races, but this weekend I was nowhere close. It could have gone very differently these last few weeks, and this weekend could’ve just been a blip. But some races in Japan and China didn’t go my way. That’s how F1 goes sometimes.”
Still, confidence doesn’t erase a 20-point gap, not if Antonelli keeps cruising. If Antonelli keeps piling up wins, Russell’s going to have to fight more than just the stopwatch. Losing to your teammate over and over starts to mess with your head. Russell began the season as the guy to beat, but the longer this keeps up, the tougher it gets to grab hold of the story again.
He’s holding firm, for now. But F1 doesn’t wait for anyone. What does Russell call “just a tricky run”? Well, if momentum doesn’t swing his way soon, it could become a whole lot more than that.
MAX VERSTAPPEN TAKES FRONT ROW IN MIAMI AS RED BULL UPGRADES DELIVER IMMEDIATE RESULTS
Charles Leclerc admitted surprise at Red Bull's pace after Max Verstappen finished P2, just 0.166s behind Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli.
Charles Leclerc expected Red Bull to bounce back, but he couldn’t help admiring Max Verstappen’s raw speed at the Miami Grand Prix.
Red Bull rolled into Miami with a big upgrade, looking to recover after a rough start to the season. Verstappen, a four-time world champ, landed his Red Bull in second during qualifying. He was only 0.166 seconds behind Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes, nearly snatching pole. After qualifying, Verstappen said he finally feels like he’s back in control of his car.
Leclerc was impressed by the turnaround. “Honestly, it’s not shocking to see Kimi up there. Mercedes has been the quickest team this year, and Kimi’s been amazing these last few races,” Leclerc said. “But Max and Red Bull are coming back like this? That’s a bit more surprising. The upgrades clearly worked, and you can’t forget how strong that team really is. You never expect them to just sit back and accept a slow start.”
He added, “We figured they’d come back swinging, but to see them right back on the front row after struggling at the start… that’s something else. It’s pretty remarkable. Still, my job’s the same: beat those guys. That’s where my head’s at right now.”
Leclerc had to settle for third on the grid for Sunday’s race. Ferrari looked strong early in qualifying, but their hopes faded by Q3.
He talked about the changing conditions, but didn’t think that’s what hurt Ferrari. “The wind definitely played a part, but track temperature wasn’t all that different, so I don’t think that’s the reason,” he said. “Maybe the track changed, and we didn’t see it coming, or maybe pushing harder today in qualifying just made our car’s weak spots stand out more.”
Leclerc admitted he hadn’t dug into the numbers yet; he’d just gotten out of the car. “We’ll have to check the details to figure out exactly where we lost time.”
