Max Verstappen comments on Kimi Antonelli’s mistake in Zandvoort that resulted in a crash with Ferrari star Charles Leclerc

Max Verstappen has weighed in on Kimi Antonelli’s mistake during the Dutch Grand Prix. The young Italian made contact with Charles Leclerc during the Zandvoort event.

Antonelli, who was attempting an overtake on the Scuderia Ferrari driver on lap 53 of the race, subsequently crashed into Leclerc as he attempted to move past him in the banked turn three corner. The Mercedes team's rookie was handed a 10-second penalty, which largely ruined what was left of his race.

Quizzed about Kimi Antonelli’s incident ahead of the Italian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen, during his interaction with the media, detailed how these mistakes can be expected of a driver who is currently in his debut campaign in Formula 1. The four-time world champion also stressed his belief in the talent the 19-year-old possesses. He said:

"Making mistakes in your first season in F1 is part of the equation. What I like most about him is that he doesn’t take it easy. He always gives it his all, and I see myself in him. Could he do better? Of course. But I know how talented he is; it shows.

"He just needs a little patience, like everyone else. It’s not easy starting with a top team, which, moreover, isn’t consistently fighting for wins. He’ll be fine, he just needs a little time."

The incident involving Antonelli and Charles Leclerc contributes to the pile of incident-laden races the Mercedes driver has continued to endure in the aftermath of his Canadian Grand Prix podium finish.

The young driver has so far been able to muster only a single point since his success at the Montreal race. During the Austrian Grand Prix, Antonelli was also involved in an incident where he collided with Verstappen, also in turn three of the Styrian hill race.

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Max Verstappen hoping for a better outing in Monza

Max Verstappen also touched on his outlook for the Italian Grand Prix. The Red Bull Racing star detailed his hope for a much more straightforward weekend than he has had to experience in recent weeks.

Sharing his thoughts with the media, the Dutch driver also acknowledged how tough it was for him and the Milton Keynes-based team last time out at the Monza circuit.

“I just hope that this weekend will be a bit more straightforward, but I cannot guarantee you that right now. Last year, here was very tough for us the car was really not performing where we wanted it to be. I just hope everything is a bit more balanced this weekend.”

Although Max Verstappen has fond memories of racing around the Monza circuit, including race victories in both 2022 and 2023, his last outing at the ‘Temple of Speed’ was far from what he would have desired. The 27-year-old could only qualify in seventh place and only made up a single place to finish the Grand Prix in sixth during race Sunday.