Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen were left laughing after discovering that Kimi Antonelli was responsible for knocking over the cone marking the pit-lane entry during the race at Sepang. The Italian driver’s mistake became the highlight of the traditional conversation behind the podium before the trophy ceremony.
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen share a laugh before the Sepang podium
The strong relationship Kimi Antonelli has managed to build with both Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton during his two years in Formula 1 turned the usual pre-podium conversation after the Sepang race into something closer to an amusing chat between friends than an analysis of what had happened on track.
The relaxed exchange was another example of the rapport between the young Italian and the seven-time world champion, with Lewis Hamilton having previously shown his support for Kimi Antonelli during the Mercedes driver’s Formula 1 career.
One incident in particular triggered laughter from Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen: the moment when Kimi Antonelli accidentally knocked over the cone marking the entrance to the pit lane during the race.
It was not an insignificant detail. Under Race Control’s instructions, any driver who passed to the outside of that cone was required to enter the pit lane, even if they had ended up beyond it because of a driving error.
Kimi Antonelli narrowly avoids being forced into the pits
That was precisely the situation Kimi Antonelli almost found himself in. The Italian missed his braking point at the final corner and ran very deep, reaching the boundary marked by the cone at the pit-lane entrance.
By applying maximum steering lock to the left, however, Kimi Antonelli managed to avoid passing outside the marker. Instead, he simply knocked the cone over.
When the incident came up in the cooldown room, Max Verstappen immediately realised what had happened and, unable to contain his laughter, told Kimi Antonelli: “You were the one who did it!”
Lewis Hamilton was equally amused by the revelation. The Ferrari driver replied: “I wondered for the whole race who had done it!”
For Kimi Antonelli, therefore, there may be more than just a historic Formula 1 world title on the horizon. After his Sepang strike, there could also be a special membership card waiting for him in Formula 1’s unofficial “bowling club”.
Leave a Reply