Kimi Antonelli's commanding victory at the Monaco Grand Prix left a strong impression across the Formula 1 paddock, with Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies admitting the Mercedes youngster exceeded expectations with his pace.
Key Takeaways from Monaco:
- Kimi Antonelli became the youngest Grand Slam winner in Formula 1 history with a dominant victory at Monaco.
- Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies admitted Antonelli’s pace surprised the paddock, especially given his relative inexperience around the circuit.
- Max Verstappen retired early with an engine issue after starting alongside Antonelli on the front row.
- Red Bull believes it has identified the engine problem that ended Verstappen’s race before he could challenge for the win.
The Rise of a Prodigy: Antonelli's Monaco Masterclass Shakes F1
The 19-year-old secured pole position on Saturday, edging out Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by just 0.043 seconds around the streets of Monte Carlo. Antonelli then converted that advantage into a record-breaking win on Sunday, becoming the youngest driver to achieve a Grand Slam in Formula 1 history.
Antonelli Delivers Dominant Performance
Any prospect of a battle at the front disappeared shortly after the start when Verstappen encountered engine trouble and was forced to retire. With his closest rival out of contention, Antonelli controlled the race and cruised to his fifth consecutive victory.
Mekies praised the Mercedes driver's performance, admitting it had surprised many within the sport. "Kimi disappeared," Mekies said. "Credit to Kimi, I think he surprised all of us by being that fast around here on his second year only."
The Red Bull boss added that Antonelli's speed in the race proved his pole position was no fluke. "I think he showed today that what he had done yesterday was not one magical lap but that he had a very serious pace. Whether or not Max would have been able to challenge that pace, again we will never know."
Verstappen Shows Strong Qualifying Form
Despite missing out on pole, Verstappen had looked highly competitive throughout qualifying. The four-time world champion was faster than Antonelli in both Q1 and Q2 before narrowly losing out in the final session. Mekies revealed Red Bull had managed to find an ideal setup for Verstappen on Saturday and believed the Dutchman was in position to mount a strong challenge in the race.
"Certainly, the level at which Max has been running in qualifying, not just one lap, Q2 and the two attempts of Q3, was very impressive," Mekies said. "We know that every time you manage to get Max comfortable with the car you get that extra Max effect, so I would have liked to see what he would have done in the race."
Engine Failure Ends Red Bull's Hopes
Verstappen described Monaco as "a really good weekend up until the race" but admitted disappointment after failing to convert his pace into a podium result. "We just need to make sure that of course we finish the races," Verstappen said. "But we first need to understand what went wrong today."
Mekies later confirmed an engine issue was responsible for the retirement and said the problem left Verstappen with no realistic chance of competing at the front. "It is an engine issue," he explained. "Obviously, we can only apologise to Max because the job he had done with the team to get to that level of pace around Monaco was outstanding."
While Red Bull is still investigating the root cause, Mekies revealed the team believes it has already identified the problem. "Probably early days to discuss what the fix is, but we think we have identified what the issue is."
