Verstappen shrugs off first DNF in 75 races after rookie Antonelli’s costly misjudgement in Austria

Max Verstappen says he holds no grudge against Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli, who sent the Red Bull star crashing out of the Austrian Grand Prix in a dramatic early collision.

The 18-year-old Italian misjudged braking at Turn 3 during the opening lap, locking his wheels and slamming into Verstappen’s car, ending the three-time world champion’s race and halting an extraordinary run of 31 consecutive points finishes.

But Verstappen was calm in the aftermath.

“Kimi is a very big talent, so he learns from that — and that’s all fine,” he said. “Every driver has made a mistake like that.”

Antonelli immediately apologised to Verstappen, who appreciated the gesture but made it clear he had already moved on.

“It was a case closed anyway,” said the Dutchman. “No one does these things on purpose. It can happen.”

The stewards handed Antonelli a three-place grid penalty for next weekend’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone, finding him fully at fault.

Antonelli admitted his error in a candid interview with BBC Radio 5 Live:

“I didn’t brake too late, but I locked the rears and lost the car. I had to avoid [Liam] Lawson and just tried to slow down. But I locked up the front-left and unfortunately hit Max. I’m sorry to him and the team — it was a mistake.”

The crash significantly altered the championship landscape. Lando Norris claimed his third win of the season, narrowly holding off McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, who still leads the title race.

Piastri’s advantage over Norris shrinks to 15 points, while Verstappen now trails by 61.

When asked if this hurt his title hopes, Verstappen remained nonchalant.

“I was never thinking about that anyway. We take it race by race. We’re trying to find more performance with the car.”

Red Bull had introduced a modest floor edge upgrade in Austria, but Verstappen wasn’t convinced it would be enough to challenge the revitalised McLaren team, who have dominated recent races.

“The pace of McLaren is insane,” he admitted. “We have bits coming — but is it enough to challenge them? Probably not.”

Verstappen will now turn his attention to Silverstone, where Red Bull hopes its package will fare better through the high-speed corners of the British circuit.

“Normally, we’re better in the high-speed stuff. But I’m not saying we’ll beat McLaren there.”

Despite the setback, Verstappen remained optimistic and grateful for the effort from his team.

“I don’t want to sound depressed. Everyone’s giving 100%. We keep pushing, learning, and trying to bring more performance. That’s all we can do.”

The Austrian Grand Prix served as another reminder of the shifting power dynamics in Formula 1. With McLaren now setting the pace and Verstappen acknowledging the gap, the 2025 championship is proving far more competitive than previous years.

As for Antonelli, the incident will be a painful lesson early in a career already under intense scrutiny. But with Verstappen’s public forgiveness, the rookie may at least take comfort knowing that one of the sport’s fiercest competitors is also among its most understanding.