Andrea Kimi Antonelli looked on course to win his first race as the new world champion as he pulled out an eight-second lead over his pursuers over the opening 12 laps at Interlagos.

But he reported something felt wrong with his Mercedes’ handling soon after switching to slick tyres and spun off, allowing Lando Norris through into the lead. The two Red Bull drivers passed him and by lap 34 Antonelli was 17 seconds off the lead.

Antonelli’s exchanges with race engineer Peter Bonnington underline how he was mystified by his car’s handling. Bonnington kept him supplied with notes on where he could find more time but it was only after he swapped his flat-spotted set of slicks for a fresh set that he began to show more competitive pace.

Unfortunately for Antonelli, the rain returned soon afterwards. He pitted for intermediates again – collecting a penalty for an unsafe release as he did – and the early leader had to settle for a fifth-place finish.

Selected messages from Antonelli in the Brazilian GP

Most drivers switched from intermediates to slicks on lap 16 but Mercedes kept the race leader out a lap longer.

Lap: 13/71 ANT: 1’26.913
Bonnington	Let us know what turns one, two, three are like at the moment in terms of readiness.
Lap: 14/71 ANT: 1’27.523
Antonelli	Dry… they’re almost dry.
Lap: 17/71 ANT: 1’31.653
Bonnington	That’ll be in this lap, it’ll be this lap.
Bonnington	Menu wet, position one, menu wet, position one. We’ll box box.
Bonnington	So box box, box box. Watch the white line on entry.
Lap: 18/71 ANT: 1’47.139
Bonnington	So caution on the pit exit, George spun in the pit exit, it is still very greasy there.
Bonnington	Push and hold on exit. You are all clear.
Bonnington	So Norris at two behind. Turns one, two, three are still slippy. Gap at 0.7 behind.

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Antonelli spun at turn one soon after switching to intermediate tyres and reported his car’s handling did not feel right.

“Once we switched to the soft tyre, I was getting into a good rhythm, but I started to feel something strange with the rear of the car,” he said after the race. “It was very unstable, particularly in some of the high-speed corners, and I then had the spin.”

Lap: 19/71 ANT: 1’19.448
Antonelli	Something is weird with the car!
Bonnington	We are just lacking surface temp, should come in sector two this time.
Antonelli	No, mate, it’s suspension.
Bonnington	OK, stand by. Everything looks okay. We’ll continue to look.
Bonnington	Kimi these are purple sectors, gap at 1.0. Hadjar car behind at 1.5
Lap: 20/71 ANT: 1’24.853
Antonelli	Antonelli goes off at turn one Er, vibration is okay.
Bonnington	0.3 behind Hadjar.
Bonnington	So push and hold. Verstappen behind at 1.9.
Lap: 21/71 ANT: 1’20.270
Antonelli	Bono, the car is pulling on one side when accelerating, it’s so weird.
Bonnington	Okay, copy, we’ll look at it. So turn one, avoid the wider line on entry.
Lap: 23/71 ANT: 1’16.838
Antonelli	In the left corner it’s really bad.
Bonnington	Okay, copy, we’re looking through that.
Bonnington	So normal grip conditions now, normal grip.
Bonnington	HPP three position three and then we can go strat seven, three position three then strat seven. We need to start thinking about opening up the diff, particularly diff mid. Okay Kimi, let’s get our head down and refocus.

Whatever Antonelli’s problem was, Mercedes couldn’t recognise it in the data they were inspecting from his car, and he went off a second time.

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Lap: 24/71 ANT: 1’21.058
Antonelli	Antonelli goes off at turn one again Yeah, but there’s a fucking problem, man. Like, I can’t turn on the left corner. Like, the car is steering by itself. Don’t you see it? Like, in turn four.
Bonnington	No, we’re not seeing anything. We can see the left-hand side tyres are dropping temp in the regions that you’re talking about. But unsure if it’s line.
Lap: 26/71 ANT: 1’16.893
Bonnington	So Norris now 15.4. Verstappen 15.8.
Lap: 28/71 ANT: 1’16.182
Bonnington	Verstappen 15.6, Norris 15.4.
Antonelli	Where am I losing?
Bonnington	Losses mid-speed three and 14, it’s that mid-throttle point. Verstappen wider line through three.
Lap: 31/71 ANT: 1’16.021
Bonnington	Verstappen 15.7.
Lap: 32/71 ANT: 1’15.755
Bonnington	Try a wide line through 13 and 14.
Bonnington	We’re dropping temp on the left-hand side tyres.
Lap: 33/71 ANT: 1’16.092
Bonnington	Still losing exit two through three.
Antonelli	I have no rear, man.
Bonnington	George is sacrificing two for a better three, so preparing three more. Verstappen 15.3.
Lap: 34/71 ANT: 1’15.455
Bonnington	George a 14.8, last lap.
Lap: 35/71 ANT: 1’15.084
Bonnington	Verstappen, Piastri, 15.0.
Bonnington	That’s better one-two-three, you’re better to open diff mid rather than entry, so mid is still at nine, open that up.
Lap: 37/71 ANT: 1’14.987
Bonnington	George was 14.7 last lap, main gain through turn 12.
Lap: 38/71 ANT: 1’14.678
Bonnington	Against George, turns 10 and 12. Open the line, entry 12.
Lap: 40/71 ANT: 1’14.614
Antonelli	Vibration getting worse.
Bonnington	Copy.
Bonnington	Purple sector one, currently quickest car on track this lap. Diff mid looked to be effective, that lap.
Lap: 42/71 ANT: 1’14.662
Bonnington	Main loss to George exit turn eight, exit turn 10.
Lap: 45/71 ANT: 1’14.375
Bonnington	Main loss to George mid-speed turn one, exit nine.
Lap: 46/71 ANT: 1’14.438
Antonelli	Yeah, with the flat-spot there’s no mechanical grip.
Bonnington	Okay.
Bonnington	Verstappen in the pit lane now.
Lap: 49/71 ANT: 1’14.411
Bonnington	Verstappen doing 13.1 on a new tyre.
Bonnington	Norris in pit lane now.

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Mercedes initially considered leaving Antonelli out as other drivers took fresh sets of soft tyres but eventually brought him in.

Lap: 51/71 ANT: 1’14.592
Bonnington	So we are now leading the race. Everyone on new tyres behind Norris st seven behind.
Bonnington	20 laps remaining.
Lap: 52/71 ANT: 1’14.557
Antonelli	What you want me to do?
Bonnington	We’re just going to hang it out Kimi, just see what comes our way, 20 laps remaining, what do you think?
Antonelli	If the tyre can take it, why not?
Bonnington	Piastri has now pitted as well. So we are reviewing.
Lap: 53/71 ANT: 1’19.197
Bonnington	Gap to Norris at 5.7.
Bonnington	Thoughts on balance, thoughts on balance Kimi, if we can take new tyre?
Antonelli	I mean, now I’ve understeer but I have a massive flat spot as well.
Bonnington	So box, box, Box, box. So just careful with the pit exit, it may still be slippy.
Lap: 54/71 ANT: 1’34.617
Bonnington	Push and hold on exit, go diff entry nine.

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Soon after Antonelli took a fresh set of slicks, the rain began to return.

Lap: 58/71 ANT: 1’14.029
Bonnington	Just keep us updated on the tyres and the rain.
Bonnington	Gap of 1.4 to Hadjar.
Lap: 59/71 ANT: 1’16.113
Bonnington	Hadjar 15.2. Gap at 0.6.
Lap: 60/71 ANT: 1’15.859
Bonnington	This rain looks like it is getting heavier approaching at one, two, three first.
Lap: 61/71 ANT: 1’18.062
Bonnington	Gap at 0.7. Double yellow, double yellow.
Bonnington	Kimi I’ll let you call it if and when you think it’s ready for inter.
Lap: 62/71 ANT: 1’33.166
Antonelli	Feels alright.
Bonnington	Okay, copy, turns one, two, three still getting wetter.
Bonnington	Low grip conditions. It looks like inter conditions now, George is in, what do you think?
Antonelli	Yeah, yeah, box!
Bonnington	We will box.

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Mercedes released Antonelli from his pit box close to Franco Colapinto. They likely suspected he would receive a penalty for an unsafe release which probably explains why they were so quick to tell him to let his team mate pass.

Russell had timed his switch to intermediate tyres perfectly and caught Antonelli quickly.

Lap: 64/71 ANT: 1’26.680
Bonnington	We need to let George through whilst we’re building temp. So, switching cars, need to invert positions.
Antonelli	Copy.
Lap: 67/71 ANT: 1’24.346
Bonnington	The rain will intensify over the final laps. So you’ve got four laps remaining. George 24.5.
Lap: 68/71 ANT: 1’25.465
Bonnington	Kimi recommend pulling back entry, turn one, better two.
Lap: 69/71 ANT: 1’26.310
Antonelli	I have no rear, man.
Bonnington	Looks like everyone is struggling with these tyres. Two laps remaining.

Although it was not a great race for the new world champion, he had at least ensured Mercedes won the constructors’ championship. Team principal Toto Wolff reminded him they still had something to celebrate.

Chequered flag
Bonnington	Okay, Kimi, it’s not the greatest day in the office, but that’s got the teams’ for us, mate. Thanks for the contribution, mate.
Antonelli	Yeah, well done everyone, I was just being compromised everything, sorry.
Wolff	Yeah, Kimi, that was a difficult one, we clearly need to figure out what went wrong with the car, but constructor world championships, that’s it!
Antonelli	Yeah, good job everyone you deserve it and let’s keep pushing for next year as well
Wolff	Absolutely.
Bonnington	It’s much heavier rain in the pit lane now. Strat 13 mate.

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