Kimi Antonelli’s participation in Australian Grand Prix qualifying is unsure after the Italian severely broken his Mercedes in an enormous crash in closing follow on the first spherical of the 2026 Method 1 season.
Simply as Mercedes determined to unleash the beautiful tempo – later confirmed by his team-mate George Russell – that many suspected they’d, Antonelli misplaced management of his automotive at Flip 2 and shunted into the barrier at excessive pace.
Whereas the 19-year-old was shortly out of his stricken automotive and was cleared after being checked on by medics, his participation within the first qualifying session of the season, reside on Sky Sports activities F1 at 5am, is in main doubt.
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Anthony Davidson analyses Kimi Antonelli’s crash in P3 of the Australian GP.
Sky Sports activities F1 pundits Martin Brundle and Anthony Davidson instantly mentioned on commentary that they’d count on Mercedes to be unable to restore the automotive for qualifying.
There have been combined feelings at Mercedes as Russell topped the session with a shocking lap time of 1:19.053, which put him six tenths away from Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton in second.
Antonelli’s crash can be all of the extra irritating for each him and Mercedes given they appeared to have an enormous alternative to begin the season with a one-two in each qualifying and Sunday’s race at Albert Park.
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George Russell despatched out an ominous assertion of intent to his rivals because the Mercedes driver went quickest in closing follow round Melbourne Park.
Hamilton and his Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc, who was third, look like Russell’s more than likely challengers for pole having completed forward of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.
Max Verstappen was a spot behind his new Purple Bull team-mate Isack Hadjar in sixth, and sounded pissed off over the radio as he complained of points together with his automotive.
‘Crash might impression Antonelli all yr’
Sky Sports activities F1 pit lane reporter Ted Kravitz warned that the crash might have a significant impression on Antonelli’s 2026 marketing campaign.
He mentioned: “There’s no good time to crash, but in F1, you know that the worst possible time in practice to crash is in the last 10 minutes of Practice Three going into the qualifying session.
“Within the storage it was taking part in out like a Drive to Survive episode. Kimi was there, Toto was reacting, stony-faced. Kimi did not go over to Toto for fairly some time, he was together with his engineer Peter Bonnington making an attempt to grasp what had simply occurred.
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Antonelli crashed on his follow debut for Mercedes on the 2024 Italian Grand Prix.
“We wait to see what the effect on the rest of the weekend will be for Kimi Antonelli, and potentially on the rest of the year as well.
“Keep in mind how a lot his accident in Monza in 2024 – in his first free follow session earlier than he even turned a fully-fledged F1 driver – affected him all through the entire of final season.
“Hopefully he’ll be able to move on quite quickly.”
Sky Sports activities F1’s Australian GP schedule
Saturday March 7
5am: AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX QUALIFYING*
7am: Ted’s Qualifying Pocket book*
9.45pm: F3 Characteristic Race*
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As Method 1 enters a brand new period, Tate McRae’s GRAMMY-nominated Simply Preserve Watching will turn out to be the brand new title observe for Sky Sports activities’ F1 protection this season and past
Sunday March 8
12.20am: F2 Characteristic Race*
2.30am: Australian GP build-up: Grand Prix Sunday*
4am: THE AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX*
6am: Australian GP response: Chequered Flag*
7am: Ted’s Pocket book*
7.55am: Australian GP race replay*
10am: Australian GP highlights (additionally on Sky One)*
*Additionally on Sky Sports activities Essential Occasion
Watch each race of the 2026 Method 1 season reside on Sky Sports activities, beginning with the Australian Grand Prix from this Sunday. Stream Sky Sports activities with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime
