Ralf Schumacher says Kimi Antonelli realised real life isn’t like ‘the simulator’ at British GP

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Kimi Antonelli was on course to win the British Grand Prix last weekend before a broken wheel shield ruined his race.

It was clear, from the rate at which he was catching Charles Leclerc, that Antonelli’s tyre advantage would see him sail past. Mercedes gave him a powerful offset by keeping him out until lap 36.

But the car damage, which Mercedes say was not Antonelli’s fault, forced him to make two stops. As the pit wall scrambled for a solution, he could barely turn the car.

Ralf Schumacher: Kimi Antonelli is learning about the brutal realities of F1

Antonelli picked up a controversial track limits penalty after running wide multiple times due to the steering blockage. He crossed the line ninth but the five-second sanction demoted him to 16th place, with the pack bunched up by a late safety car.

Assuming he would have at Silverstone, Antonelli has now lost 43 points in three weekends to reliability issues. This is clearly Mercedes’ biggest weakness in their battle with Ferrari.

How has the British Grand Prix changed your outlook on the F1 title race?

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For Antonelli, this was a glimpse of how random twists of fate can shape an F1 title race. In just his second season, he’s paying ‘a learning fee’.

“At the moment, you have to say: everything that used to be a problem with Ferrari seems to have disappeared,” Sky Sports Germany pundit Ralf Schumacher said.

“With Mercedes, it looks more like a battery issue than an engine problem, perhaps due to vibration or temperature.

“That’s part of the game, it can happen. But with Kimi, you can also see: something like that isn’t simulated in the simulator. He may have paid a bit of a learning fee there.”

Mercedes initially told Antonelli to retire the car, but he insisted on continuing in the pursuit of a point or two, aware that this could be decisive at the end of the season.

Antonelli’s lead over teammate George Russell, who retired from the lead of the Canadian GP in May, is down to 25 points. Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton is third, a further seven points back.