Imola GP heartbreak for Antonelli on home F1 debut

Andrea Kimi Antonelli was forced to retire from his first F1 race around his home circuit after his Mercedes had a throttle failure.

The Italian pulled to the side on lap 46 when he was running in eighth place, having made his way up from 13th on the grid.

Antonelli, who has otherwise impressed this season, also admitted he was overcome by the occasion of competing in his home race for the first time in F1.

He said: “After two or three laps [after the VSC], I started to have the issue with the throttle… then unfortunately it went off completely.”

He later added: “I was losing power, and sometimes the sensor was going crazy, so it’s a shame but these are things that can happen. For sure without the problem, the pace would have been much better.

“But I need to still work on my driving, to see where I can improve, and also to improve the race pace, especially with the hot temperature. I think when it’s cold, the pace is really good, it’s much better, and also for me it’s much easier to manage the tyre, [but] I need to still work on it when it’s hot.”

Antonelli has been mobbed by well-wishers this weekend, as the Italian fans welcomed their countryman to F1.

However, the 18-year-old, who grew up in nearby Bologna, admits that he was overwhelmed by all the attention on him.

He added: “It probably was the worst [weekend] in terms of performance. I’ll try to recover well and be back stronger in Monaco.

“I mean, I absolutely love the support of the fans. I just think on my side I didn’t manage the energy that well, and that definitely compromised the performance on track. But it was a really good lesson, because I could feel it.

“I was not as relaxed, I was a bit more tense while driving. So, you know, ahead of the next home race, it was a really good lesson.

“Of course, the pace is still not where we want, but overall, the most positive thing was the support from the fans. I think that was incredible. I could really feel the support, despite the difficult moments.”

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