Full radio from Antonelli’s superb F1 debut · RaceFans

The youngest driver on the grid at the Australian Grand Prix faced high expectations as well as difficult conditions on his debut.

Mercedes had nurtured Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s career for years. But while his team mate George Russell got to make his Formula 1 debut in the relatively low-pressure environment of Williams, Antonelli was thrust straight into the top team, in the seat previously occupied by no less a talent than Lewis Hamilton.

Thrust into the spotlight, Antonelli stumbled in qualifying, damaging his career and dropping out in Q1. That left him near the back of the grid.

The foul conditions which greeted the teams on Sunday, after 48 hours of fine weather, were hardly ideal for Antonelli or any of the other rookies. However he had the benefit of a long testing programme in Mercedes’ F1 cars, some of which took place in similarly wet conditions.

Antonelli was well prepared, and though his race wasn’t flawless, he produced a superb drive to finish fourth. Here’s how he did it.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s Australian Grand Prix radio transcript

Jump to:

“Right-hand side?”“I had a moment”“Hulkenberg is doing burn-outs into the pit lane”“I like that”“That was a wheel on the grass”“Has DRS been disabled?”“Alonso crashed”“Do you think we can have HPP 12?”“Take it easy in this restart”“Mate, he’s defending!”“I didn’t press it”“Nice job”“You are the only rookie that kept it on the road”

“Right-hand side?”

Antonelli lined up 16th on the grid, having been eliminated from qualifying the day before. The original attempt to start the race was abandoned after Isack Hadjar crashed.

Ahead of the second attempt to start the race, Bonnington reminded Antonelli there would be some empty spots on the grid, and to be sure to line up in the correct one. Antonelli spotted his mistake in identifying which side of the grid he should start from.

Lap: 1/57 ANT: 2’22.352

Bonnington
Initial clutch target drop was on target, then fed in deep. Okay Kimi, so we’re going to cool the call car turn 11, so coasting turn 11.

Bonnington
And it’ll be three burn-outs, three burn-outs. There’s a couple of cars missing from the grid, just look for your name, left-hand side.

Antonelli
Right-hand side?

Bonnington
Sorry, the board is on the left-hand side. The board is on the left-hand side. You should be on the right.

Bonnington
So set your b-bal, b-mig [brake balance, brake migration] and then strat mode five, last car in place.

“I had a moment”

When the race finally started, Jack Doohan lost control of his car at the exit of turn five and crashed out. Antonelli came very close to making the same error, catching a huge slide as he accelerated out of the corner.

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Bonnington
So we have Safety Car, Safety Car, keep the delta positive. So we are staying out, brake magic on, delta. Strat mode one.

Antonelli
Antonelli catches a huge snap of oversteer at the exit of turn fiveFuck, I had a moment.

Bonnington
Okay, copy. Doohan crashed between five and six. Just stay on top of the temps.

Lap: 2/57 ANT: 2’49.800

Bonnington
Just 10 car lengths once we’re into the pack. Safety Car is at turn five at the moment. Doohan crashed on the left-hand side so the debris expected to be on left-hand side. Sainz has just gone off, final corner.

Antonelli
Yeah, copy, saw that.

Bonnington
Okay, so the Safety Car will be coming through the pit lane, so we’ll follow that. Just remember when you’re coming through the pit lane, you’re staying in the fast lane and using the pit limiter. So just stay on top of those temps as best you can, but just be careful. We’ve had a couple of cars off already. Sainz [was] just trying to get temp. So you’ll be coming through the pit lane and reminder for pit limiter.

Antonelli
Copy that.

Bonnington
Staying in the fast lane, driving through. Just watch the white line on exit. Still recovering Doohan’s car.

Lap: 3/57 ANT: 2’44.755

Bonnington
We’ll be through the pit lane again. So through the pit lane, and remember pit limiter again. From the replays looks like Doohan lost it on straight just by putting a wheel on the white lines. Just watch painted lines

Antonelli
Yeah, I almost did the same, so yeah, they’re quite slippery.

Bonnington
Okay, good man.

“Hulkenberg is doing burn-outs into the pit lane”

Although Antonelli was now up to 13th he had lost a position to Nico Hulkenberg. He suspected the Sauber driver had broken a rule in the pit lane, and advised his team, but his rival was not investigated.

Lap: 4/57 ANT: 2’34.598

Antonelli
Uh, Hulkenberg is doing burn-outs into the pit lane.

Bonnington
Okay, copy. So recovery vehicle on track, recovery vehicle. So a bit more brake magic if we can have it. Just try and get that temp.

Antonelli
How can I help rears?

Bonnington
Yeah, we’ve got that turned up already, so the rest is in your control. So through the pit lane again, and again, pit limiter.

Antonelli
If it doesn’t rain again, it’s going to be drying.

Bonnington
Okay, copy. No rain on the forecast for the next 20, 30 minutes. Again, white line on exit.

Lap: 5/57 ANT: 2’19.163

Bonnington
Recovery vehicle, looks like it’s still on track.

Bonnington
So this time the Safety Car will use the start-finish straight. So we’ll stay out.

Bonnington
So staying out, staying out. So that recovery vehicle that should have moved, it’s just parking up now I think, it’s around turn eight, nine. So, recovery vehicle, you’re about to go past. Kimi, can we have HPP three position three, three position three. So the Safety Car is going to be in end of this lap. Temps have been building slowly now.

Lap: 7/57 ANT: 2’03.412

Bonnington
So for the restart, it will be strat mode five, I’ll let you know. So let’s go strat mode five now. Strat mode five. Just make sure you’ve got your B-bal set. The race restarts

Bonnington
Ignore the oxidation warnings, ignore oxidation warnings. And can we have HPP 12 position two, 12 position two.

Lap: 9/57 ANT: 1’36.312

Bonnington
HPP 12 position one, 12 position one.

“I like that”

Antonelli made some progress once the race restarted, passing Hulkenberg.

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Lap: 10/57 ANT: 1’35.270

Bonnington
And cool the left-hand side tyres where you can.

Lap: 11/57 ANT: 1’34.678

Antonelli
I start to feel the overheating.

Lap: 12/57 ANT: 1’35.385

Bonnington
So just look for water where you can. DRS has been enabled.

Bonnington
Kimi can we have chassis default 19, chassis one-nine.

Lap: 14/57 ANT: 1’33.802

Bonnington
Just look for the wet patches where you can.

Bonnington
Antonelli passes Hulkenberg into turn 11Nice work, Kimi, I like that! Okay, Hulkerberg 0.9 behind, got Stroll three ahead. There may be light rain now. Stroll ahead was a 33.1, front-runners were doing 30.8.

“That was a wheel on the grass”

However soon afterwards he spun off at turn four and fell back behind Hulkenberg. Bonnington made sure he understood his error.

Lap: 15/57 ANT: 1’32.212

Bonnington
Suggest coming up on diff mid, one or two steps. Still find the water, look for the water.Antonelli spins at turn four, gets going again but loses a place to Hulkenberg.

Lap: 16/57 ANT: 1’37.326

Bonnington
So Bortoleto 0.9 behind.

Bonnington
So Kimi that was a wheel on the grass, so just be careful.

Lap: 17/57 ANT: 1’32.312

Bonnington
So we have a Stroll ahead at six-and-a-half seconds. Last lap was a 33.8.

Lap: 18/57 ANT: 1’32.181

Bonnington
The rain is picking up. And we go strat mode seven, strat mode.

Lap: 20/57 ANT: 1’31.319

Bonnington
So this rain will persist for another eight to ten minutes.

Antonelli
How is the pace?

Bonnington
Front runners are mid-30, George doing 32.2. So Stroll ahead at 2.8, last lap at 32.6.

Lap: 21/57 ANT: 1’31.042

Bonnington
Okay Kimi, we saw diff high-speed change, diff mid would also be effective plus two, diff mid plus two.

“Has DRS been disabled?”

Antonelli regained his position from Hulkenberg and passed Lance Stroll as well, leaving him one place outside the points. Next he applied pressure to the other Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso, spending several laps within DRS range, then slipping back slightly.

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Lap: 22/57 ANT: 1’31.887

Bonnington
Antonelli passes Stroll at turn 11Strat mode six, nice work mate. We’ve got Alonso four-and-a-half seconds ahead.

Lap: 23/57 ANT: 1’31.324

Bonnington
And Kimi can we have HPP three position two, three position two.

Lap: 24/57 ANT: 1’30.822

Bonnington
Alonso at 32.5, gap at 3.4.

Lap: 26/57 ANT: 1’31.299

Bonnington
So Alonso ahead, 31.7.

Lap: 27/57 ANT: 1’30.463

Antonelli
Has DRS been disabled?

Bonnington
Negative, that gap is at 1.1.

Bonnington
And think about magic for turn 13 understeer.

Lap: 30/57 ANT: 1’29.794

Antonelli
I’m struggling with overheating.

Bonnington
Okay, copy Kimi. Just think about pulling back the entry, focus on the exit.

Bonnington
And just think about cooling the tyres where you can, driving offline. I’m sure you’re doing as much as you can. You can think about just pushing a b-bal forwards a little, just to help the rears.

“Alonso crashed”

Alonso pulled two seconds clear of Antonelli, then crashed heavily at the exit of turn six. This triggered a Safety Car deployment which Mercedes, like their rivals, reacted to immediately by bringing their driver in for slick tyres.

Lap: 32/57 ANT: 1’29.032

Bonnington
Just start opening up your diff with the understeer.

Bonnington
And Kimi, how far from slicks do you think it is?

Lap: 33/57 ANT: 1’52.635

Antonelli
Still a bit far.

Bonnington
Copy that, Kimi.

Antonelli
Alonso spins into a barrier in front of AntonelliAlonso crashed.

Bonnington
Copy, copy. You are in your Safety Car window for slick tyres.

Antonelli
What the others are doing?

Bonnington
We don’t know yet. So Safety Car, Safety Car. Keep the delta positive. So strat mode one and box, box. So we are going to go to slicks. Thanks for pit confirm.

Bonnington
Antonelli leaves his pit box. The stewards originally deemed Mercedes released him unsafely in front of Hulkenberg and gave him a five-second time penalty, but cancelled their decision after the raceMenu wet position one, so menu wet position one. And you’re pushing down to Safety Car [line] two. So just be careful with these tyres, we’re just going to need to build some temp.

“Do you think we can have HPP 12?”

In his first race, Antonelli appeared confident enough with Mercedes’ systems to suggest switch changes before Bonnington advised him to make them.

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Lap: 34/57 ANT: 2’22.596

Antonelli
Do you think we can have HPP 12?

Bonnington
I was about to say, if you go HPP 12, position four. Use your brake magic so you’ve got that on.

Bonnington
Can we have HPP seven position three, seven position three.

Bonnington
The Safety Car did not pick up the leader when it joined the track. Antonelli and other drivers were waved past it after they passed the crash sceneOkay Kimi you’re currently sitting in P10. So just being waved through.

Lap: 35/57 ANT: 1’44.670

Bonnington
He approaches the crash sceneSo Alonso still parked there.

Lap: 36/57 ANT: 1’41.655

Antonelli
Do you think I can switch the HPP 12 off, or still keep it on?

Bonnington
So down to two. Okay Kimi we have marshals on track turn six, seven sorting the gravel and then a recovery vehicle at turn eight. So look for marshals and recovery vehicle. So the Safety Car is between turns 10 and 11.

Lap: 37/57 ANT: 2’07.298

Bonnington
So you’re joining the pack now. So maybe we think about coming back up on HPP 12, position four.

Antonelli
Uh, you want me to switch that off?

Bonnington
Yeah you go 12 position four. And there is a possibility of rain later in the race.

Lap: 38/57 ANT: 2’19.681

Bonnington
Double yellow.

Lap: 39/57 ANT: 2’11.642

Bonnington
And maybe some light rain in the last sector, so 11 to 13.

“Take it easy in this restart”

As drivers prepared for the restart on slick tyres, Bonnington reminded Antonelli not to repeat his earlier error. Shortly afterwards the rain returned, Antonelli passed Leclerc’s spun Ferrari and immediately headed back into the pits for intermediates.

Lap: 40/57 ANT: 2’09.615

Bonnington
Kimi, just take it easy in this restart, just using all the track, there’s still quite a lot of water out there, so it’s a tight line.

Antonelli
Yeah, copy that.

Lap: 41/57 ANT: 2’06.220

Bonnington
So Safety Car’s going to be in this lap.

Antonelli
Copy.

Bonnington
So you can go back on HPP 12. So HPP 12 position one. So it’ll be strat mode five, strat mode five. Safety Car at turn 12.

Lap: 42/57 ANT: 1’27.505

Bonnington
The race restartsIt feels like the wind is picking up. And light rain in two to three minutes.

Bonnington
DRS has been enabled. That rain is going to hit us soon. The rain could get pretty intense.

Lap: 44/57 ANT: 1’48.276

Bonnington
And expecting that rain to increase, so let us know what you see.

Bonnington
Box, box. Box, box. Box, box. Box, box. And then wet position three, wet position three.>Russell ahead and Stroll behind also pit. Antonelli is briefly delayed behind his team mate which allows Stroll to get back in front of him through the pits

Lap: 45/57 ANT: 1’35.593

Bonnington
This rain is going to build for two to three minutes.

“Mate, he’s defending!”

Antonelli repassed Stroll, then caught Oliver Bearman, now driving for Haas, who was a lap down. To Antonelli’s frustration Bearman moved towards the inside line as he gained on him approaching turn three.

Lap: 46/57 ANT: 1’30.780

Bonnington
Antonelli passes Stroll on the outside approaching turn nineNice work, mate. This last sector looks wet. Bearman ahead is traffic, so he has blue flags. Look for the water as much as you can. Bearman has blue flags.

Lap: 47/57 ANT: 2’05.750

Antonelli
Mate, he’s defending!

Antonelli
So Safety Car, Safety Car, no overtaking. So keep delta positive.

Antonelli
Mate, they’re defending on me, I don’t know?

Bonnington
Yeah, just stay in position now, but yeah, we’re on to them. We’ve also got Lawson off. So Bortoleto off at turn 13, Lawson off turn two. And we’ve got HPP 12 position four, 12 position four. We’ll go strat mode one.

Lap: 48/57 ANT: 1’58.429

Bonnington
Kimi, no more rain expected.

Bonnington
So Safety Car between turns 10 and 11.

Lap: 49/57 ANT: 2’24.964

Bonnington
Just make those temps as best you can, mate. So lapped cars may now overtake, so that’s going to mean Bearman gets out of our way.

“I didn’t press it”

There was some brief confusion when Bonnington saw a ‘pit confirm’ signal from Antonelli’s car when he was not supposed to come in.

Lap: 50/57 ANT: 2’20.284

Bonnington
Bonnington gets the ‘pit confirm’ signal from Antonelli’s carI’m not sure that was a deliberate pit confirm there.

Antonelli
Well, I didn’t press it.

Bonnington
Okay, don’t worry about it

Antonelli
How can I reset it?

Bonnington
It will reset over the line, don’t worry. Okay Kimi so a car ahead, Albon. And you’ve got Stroll, Hulkenberg, Gasly, cars behind everyone on the inter. So not expecting any more rain.

Lap: 51/57 ANT: 2’12.971

Bonnington
So the Safety Car will be in this lap.

Antonelli
Copy.

Bonnington
So HPP 12, position one.

Antonelli
You sure?

Bonnington
You can keep it if you think you need it. Yeah, set it to two, that’ll be fine. So there’ll be six laps remaining when you cross the line.

Bonnington
So strat mode five, strat mode five and focus on this restart.

Bonnington
So gap 1.0 ahead, 2.1 behind.

Lap: 52/57 ANT: 1’35.008

Bonnington
And wind is getting gusty.

Bonnington
And it’ll be four laps remaining.

“Nice job”

By pitting for intermediates before others, Antonelli moved up to fifth place. After the final restart he gained another position by passing Alexander Albon.

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Lap: 54/57 ANT: 1’30.562

Bonnington
Antonelli closes on AlbonDRS has been enabled, gap ahead 0.5.

Lap: 55/57 ANT: 1’30.602

Bonnington
And you do have overtake available.

Lap: 56/57 ANT: 1’28.149

Bonnington
You’ve got two laps remaining.

Bonnington
Kimi just remember to pull back the entry for better exits.

Bonnington
Antonelli passes Albon on the outside heading into turn nineYes, mate. Nice job.

Bonnington
One more lap.

Lap: 57/57 ANT: 1’28.650

Bonnington
Use overtake on this straight, we’ll keep pushing.

Bonnington
Keep pushing to the line, mate.

“You are the only rookie that kept it on the road”

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff came on Antonelli’s radio at the end of the race to congratulate him on a successful debut.

Several laps earlier the stewards had issued a five-second time penalty to Antonelli. Mercedes did not distract him with the information during the race and waited until afterwards to let him know.

However after the race finished Mercedes successfully petitioned the stewards to cancel Antonelli’s penalty. He was therefore restored to a superb fourth place on his debut.

Chequered flag

Bonnington
Nice work, Kimi. That was a great drive. That’s P4 on the road. Unfortunately they’ve given us a five-second penalty so it’s bumped us to P5. Five-second penalty was an unsafe release but you did a great job today.

Antonelli
Oh man, fuck, that was close. Woah, what a race!

Bonnington
Yeah, mega, mega job today, mate. Not bad for your first go. And yeah, some of those overtakes were pretty sweet. Can you go strat mode 14 and then HPP one, position 12. And we’ll go strat mode one, strat mode one.

Wolff
Kimi first one. Really really good. Really really good, what a result. You are the only rookie that kept it on the road and we ended up with a P5, that’s mega.

Bonnington
Thank you Toto, thanks everyone, it was a good weekend, thank you everyone.

Bonnington
Yeah it’s a good first crack, mate. Into the pit lane and then just pull up where they direct you to. Top three cars will go down the end. And then when you get out of the car, switch the engine off and then switch P1 off as well. We’ll see you in a bit.