Hungarian Grand Prix kerbs could trigger yet another reliability problem for Mercedes

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Battery issues have plagued Mercedes in recent weeks, but the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix could see Kimi Antonelli’s race-ruining problem from Silverstone return in full force.

The championship leader was well on his way to spoiling Ferrari’s party at the British Grand Prix earlier this month, but disaster struck for Antonelli on lap 41 as he rounded turn nine.

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A piece of his brake duct broke off and lodged itself inside the Italian’s front wing after going over the outside kerb of the racetrack, and the resulting loss of downforce severely hindered his pace for the remainder of the race.

All in all, the incident cost Antonelli a full 25 points at the very most and 18 at the very least, and the exact same issue could crop up again as the F1 circus arrives at one of the most notorious circuits on the calendar for kerb issues.

• READ MORE: Martin Brundle shares real ‘lesson’ Kimi Antonelli learned from ‘heartbreaking’ British Grand Prix

Ralf Schumacher says Kimi Antonelli will have to ‘stay clear’ of the kerbs at the Hungaroring

Speaking via the Backstage Boxengasse podcast, F1 pundit Ralf Schumacher voiced his thoughts on the potential reliability issue that Mercedes could face at the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix.

Despite mentioning that he imagines Mercedes have “naturally stepped up their efforts in that area”, he did warn Antonelli that he will “have to stay a bit clear of the kerbs” over the course of the 70-lap race.

He also expects Mercedes engineers to carry out inspections after free practice on Friday to ensure that the physical integrity of each component on the W17 holds up after an hour of track time.

The 2.722-mile-long circuit features several areas in which kerbs could provide an issue for the grid, and unfortunately for Antonelli, that is also where the majority of the lap time is held, too.

At turns eight and nine, drivers must use the entirety of the race track to maintain flow in the middle sector of the circuit, and that includes using all of the kerbs. However, turns four, six, seven and eleven may prove to be the biggest obstacles.

The chicane at turns six and seven is historically notorious for launching cars and destroying floors in previous editions of the Hungarian Grand Prix. The complex has since been reworked to limit the risk of cars getting air, but the possibility of aero damage remains.

Turns four and eleven also feature corners in which utilising the kerb is the optimal strategy. The double-kerb profile of these corners increases the risk of damage, though, and can also unsettle the suspension if taken too aggressively.

• READ MORE: F1 experts predict the Hungarian Grand Prix from Lewis Hamilton’s chances to win to biggest surprise

It is no secret that Antonelli benefits from having a more aggressive driving style, but the Hungaroring could prove to be a good test of the Italian’s adaptability.

If he can still reign supreme despite taking a more conservative approach, it would strike fear in the eyes of his title rivals.