Was it a misstep to include Antonelli in the Italian GP FP1 session? Wolff responds.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff stands by the decision to include Andrea Kimi Antonelli in the first free practice session at the Italian Grand Prix. However, he acknowledges that the team did not adequately consider the pressures Antonelli would face. The young driver crashed shortly after the session began during his debut at a Formula 1 race weekend in Monza.
Antonelli began the session on a high note, quickly posting some impressive lap times. However, after ten minutes, he crashed at Parabolica. “I wouldn’t call it a mistake, but we may not have fully grasped the pressures he would face,” Wolff told Autosport.com.
We had discussed how to approach the session, and he had been outstanding in testing, never putting a foot wrong over the thousands of kilometers he completed. But it’s a different scenario when you’re an 18-year-old Italian driver at Monza, facing your first opportunity,” Wolff reflected.
Antonelli gained valuable experience from his debut.
In retrospect, Mercedes might have chosen to have him make his first appearance away from his home crowd in Italy. However, Wolff acknowledges that the young driver has learned a great deal from his crash at the high-speed Monza circuit.
Source: https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/305355/toto-wolff-says-mercedes-didn-t-assess-pressure-of-fp1-for-antonelli.html
