The third free practice session of the Australian Grand Prix was marked by a spectacular accident for Kimi Antonelli. The Mercedes driver went off the track violently, causing another red flag.
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The final free practice session at the Albert Park circuit was brutally interrupted after an impressive accident involving Kimi Antonelli. The young Italian driver lost control of his car at high speed, causing a violent collision with the outside wall.
The incident occurred at the exit of Turn 1, one of the fast sequences of the Australian track. By slightly riding the curb under acceleration, the Mercedes driver’s car became unbalanced, sending the car towards the outside of the track.
The W17 then violently hit the barriers at Turn 2. The impact immediately led to the interruption of the session by the marshals, who waved a red flag to allow the intervention of the safety teams.
A collision estimated at over 25G
The severity of the impact led officials to deploy the medical car on the track. According to initial indications, the car’s sensors recorded a deceleration of over 25G, a level that systematically justifies a medical check.
Despite the violence of the accident, Antonelli seems to have escaped without injury. The Italian driver was able to get out of his damaged car on his own before returning to the pit lane on foot.
The images quickly reassured the paddock and the spectators present in Melbourne. In this type of incident, the priority always remains the driver’s health before any other sporting consideration.
A very disrupted practice session
This accident caused the second red flag of this third free practice session, which had already been disrupted by several interruptions. The marshals also decided to temporarily close the pit lane to secure the cleaning and car evacuation operations.
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The session should nevertheless resume once the track repairs are completed. Teams have very little time to finalize their setups before qualifying, making every minute of track time particularly precious.
At the time of the accident, Antonelli was in fourth place on the timesheet. He was behind Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, and Lewis Hamilton, who were then in the top three positions.
A race against time for Mercedes
The accident now poses a new challenge for the Mercedes team. The visible damage to the car seems significant, and the mechanics will have to work quickly to get the car back in condition.
The time available before the qualifying session remains limited, and it is not yet certain that the car can be rebuilt in time. If the structural damage is too significant, the team could be forced to replace several major components.
In a weekend already marked by the introduction of a brand new technical regulation in Formula 1, losing track time represents a significant handicap for qualifying preparation.
Mercedes will therefore have to deliver a real race against time in its garage to allow Antonelli to participate in the battle for pole position at the Albert Park circuit.
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