Villeneuve slams and puts Kimi Antonelli in his place: “It’s not a mistake”

Kimi Antonelli found himself in Jacques Villeneuve’s crosshairs after the crash in Q1 during qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Italian Mercedes driver lost control of his car, hitting the inside wall at Turn 1 and damaging the front-left suspension. The 1997 world champion had particularly harsh words for the mistake in an interview with Sky Sports F1.

“It’s not a matter of centimeters; it’s not just a mistake—it’s a gross error,” Villeneuve commented, before adding: “An unbelievable mistake, made on a weekend when his teammate is in a league of his own.”

The reference is to George Russell, who had a very strong weekend in Baku. Villeneuve then added: “It’s certainly not the ideal time for something like this, even if the current rules make it easier to fight through the field.”

However, the qualifying mistake did not compromise Antonelli’s final result. The Mercedes driver managed to make up ground during the race, finishing fifth in the Grand Prix won by Russell.