Antonelli reveals brake issues in Spielberg race

Formula 1 championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli admitted he was left wondering what might have been after a stunning late charge at the Austrian Grand Prix saw him finish just short of second place.

The Mercedes rookie recovered brilliantly from a difficult opening stint to claim third at the Red Bull Ring, finishing right on the tail of Max Verstappen after running out of laps to mount a decisive attack.

Had the race lasted just a little longer, Antonelli may even have found himself fighting for victory, with race winner George Russell only a few seconds further up the road.

It had not been an easy afternoon for the Italian. After making a mistake in the opening laps and losing several positions, Antonelli also struggled with his brakes during the first stint, leaving him on the back foot while his team-mate controlled the race from the front.

"It was not a straightforward race from my side," Antonelli admitted. "The first stint wasn’t where it needed to be and I struggled a bit with the brakes early on."

Mercedes elected to leave the championship leader out longer than many of his rivals during the opening stint, a strategy that initially appeared costly.

However, it ultimately gave Antonelli fresher tyres for the closing stages, allowing him to carve through the field with impressive pace.

"After that, the pace was much better and I was able to get back into the fight," he said. "I think if we had a few more laps, it could have been an interesting battle for P2 at the end."

While disappointed to miss out on second place, Antonelli was quick to praise team-mate George Russell, who converted pole position into his first Grand Prix victory since Australia after absorbing relentless pressure from Verstappen throughout the race.

"Congratulations to George on the win today," Antonelli said. "He did a great job managing the race, especially in the final stint under pressure. It’s a strong result for the whole team to have both cars scoring well and bringing home good points."

"There is still a lot for me to learn, and this weekend has been a good reminder of that," he admitted. "I will take the lessons and come back stronger next weekend."

Mercedes now heads to Silverstone full of confidence after securing victory and a double podium in Spielberg, and Antonelli is eager to carry that momentum into one of Formula 1's most iconic venues.

"I’m looking forward to Silverstone," he said. "It’s always a special circuit and, with it being a sprint weekend, it will be important to be on it from the first session."