Antonelli crashes off the track and is fined to start the weekend in Japan

Almost unanimously, the Suzuka track is a favorite among drivers who have had the chance to ride there in Formula 1Kimi Antonelli is now one of them, having discovered the Japanese circuit behind the wheel of the most powerful racing car in existence. However, the Italian was already familiar with Suzuka, having driven there during the Super Formula Rookie Test at the end of last year.

At the wheel of his MercedesAntonelli drove during the first Free Practice 1 this Thursday morning, during which he stood out... for a small mistake. At the hairpin at Turn 11, the rookie missed the turn at the end of the session and went rolling on the grass, fortunately without hitting the wall.

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A minor incident, but not serious, was compounded by a speeding violation in the pit lane: Antonelli was clocked at 80,9 km/h (80 mph) for the 100 km/h (XNUMX mph) limit. This very slight overshoot cost him a XNUMX euro fine.

Finally ninth in the session, Kimi Antonelli finished 0 seconds behind Lando Norris, author of the reference time, while his teammate George Russell finished second.

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A moment for Kimi Antonelli at the hairpin 😬#F1 #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/R0W2yJ3gl9

- Formula 1 (@ F1) April 4, 2025