Kimi Antonelli revealed that he experienced moments of confusion at the start of the Belgian Grand Prix in Formula 1. The championship leader lost the first position to Max Verstappen before Eau Rouge but immediately reacted to regain the lead still on the Kemmel straight.
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Even though he started from pole position at Spa-Francorchamps, the Mercedes driver had to deal with pressure from rivals from the first meters. Besides Verstappen, Charles Leclerc also threatened to take the lead, making the first lap one of the most hectic of the race.
Antonelli explained that he spent much of the initial section looking through the mirrors, trying to understand what was happening around him. The Italian highlighted that his main goal was to stay in front and avoid any incidents amid the intense battle.
“To be honest, I was very confused about what was happening, because Max flew past me before Eau Rouge and then I overtook him again,” said the Mercedes driver after the race.
“Then I saw Charles almost side by side with me and thought: ‘What is happening?’. I really didn’t understand. I was just trying to keep my position on the track and looking in the mirrors all the time, because I saw many cars approaching. It was a crazy start, but fortunately, everyone got through without problems,” he added.
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After surviving the chaotic start, Antonelli had to manage pressure from Ferrari until the final laps. The Italian admitted he already expected a strong performance from the Italian team, which had shown good pace throughout the weekend’s practice sessions.
According to the Belgian GP winner, Ferrari had an advantage especially in turns 12 and 13, where he faced difficulties with rear grip. In contrast, Mercedes was more competitive in low-speed corners, which helped balance the battle.
“They were good in free practice as well. The pace in long runs looked strong, so we knew they would be competitive. Today that was just confirmed. They were very strong in turns 12 and 13 compared to us, while we were very strong in the slow corners. So, it wasn’t easy, especially in the second sector. We definitely expected them to be fast today,” Antonelli concluded.
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