“The Pressure in F1 Is Different”: Fred Vasseur Defends Kimi Antonelli After Monza Crash

Pranay Bhagi | 31/08/2024
“The Pressure in F1 Is Different”: Fred Vasseur Defends Kimi Antonelli After Monza Crash

Kimi Antonelli had the opportunity to give a preview of what to expect from him in 2025 when he drove the W15 during FP1 at Monza. Unfortunately, he crashed at the Parabolica section, which attracted a lot of negative attention. However, Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur defended the Italian driver.

Antonelli, who was pushing hard, rode the kerb a bit too long, leading to a loss of control on just his second flying lap. He spun out and suffered a big impact.

Although his team showed support almost instantly, the 18-year-old faced criticism online, likely due to the hype surrounding his talent.

Vasseur, however, spoke about the pressure Antonelli must have been under. “Debuting here and going out on the track with the softs maybe didn’t do him any good,” said Vasseur after practice on Friday. “But you shouldn’t conclude just one session.”

Vasseuer noticed the comments made about Antonelli after the session and insisted that judging a young driver based on just two laps was unfair. “It’s not easy to start in F1. He’s doing a lot of laps in the simulator. But the pressure in F1 is different.”

Antonelli also wasn’t the only driver to face problems at Monza. The track was resurfaced in certain areas, including the Parabolica, causing even Ferrari drivers Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc to lose the rear end of their respective SF-24s. However, years of experience presumably allowed them to avoid crashing

Former Mercedes boss: “The pace is there”

Despite the negativity surrounding his FP1 crash, most people in the F1 paddock spoke highly of Antonelli. Former Mercedes Director of Motorsport Strategy, now Williams’ Team Principal, James Vowles, praised Antonelli on F1TV after Friday’s practice sessions.

“The first lap he put out there was faster than anyone else, and not by a small margin,” the Briton stated. “The second lap, if he completed it, would’ve been a heck of a lot faster. He pushed too hard too soon. But the pace is there.”

Immediately after his shunt, Antonelli apologized over the team radio, to which Toto Wolff responded, ‘All okay.’ His FP1 run was short, but even in those one-and-a-half laps, the Italian youngster gave glimpses of his talent behind the wheel.

Mercedes’ announcement of Antonelli’s 2025 arrival is unlikely to be affected by his crash at Monza. However, when they make things official, remains to be seen.

 

Post Edited By: Somin Bhattacharjee
ferrari Fred Vasseur Italian GP Kimi Antonelli Mercedes Monza

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Pranay Bhagi

Pranay Bhagi is an F1 Journalist at the Sportsrush. He's been following the sport since 2010 and has been a Sebastian Vettel enthusiant since then. He started his F1 journalism journey two years ago and has written over 1300 articles. As an Aston Martin supporter, he hopes for Fernando Alonso to win the 3rd title. Apart from F1, anything with an engine and wheel intruiges him. In true petrolhead sense, he often travels across the country on his motorcycle.

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