Andrea Kimi Antonelli has accused Ferrari of sandbagging after the team's impressive turnaround at the Austrian Grand Prix. On 18 Jun, Antonelli topped both FP1 and FP2 by an impressive buffer.
What happened?
Ferrari lagged behind both Mercedes and McLaren during Friday's practice sessions, but emerged as Mercedes' biggest rivals for pole position in qualifying.
Why it matters for Andrea Kimi Antonelli
Andrea Kimi Antonelli was left skeptical of Ferrari's step forward overnight and claimed the Scuderia had been deliberately hiding its true pace on Friday. Ferrari's pace was a surprise to many, including Charles Leclerc.
What comes next?
Andrea Kimi Antonelli is aiming to make up early ground off the line, with Mercedes enjoying better starts of late. He hopes to get a good start and extract the maximum out of his car.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli told media, including *Crash.net*, that Ferrari's pace is going to be much better, given their strong performance in Barcelona. He added that it's going to be another race where tyre management will be key.
Charles Leclerc admitted he was puzzled but positively surprised by Ferrari's pace in qualifying. He said the team changed quite a lot, but not big steps, and it ended up being a big difference.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli finished the qualifying session with a strong performance, but was denied a front-row start by George Russell. He will be looking to make up ground and challenge Mercedes in the race.
The Austrian Grand Prix is set to be an exciting race, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Ferrari looking to challenge Mercedes. The race will be a test of tyre management and strategy, with the teams looking to extract the maximum out of their cars.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli's accusation of sandbagging has added an extra layer of intrigue to the race. It remains to be seen how Ferrari will perform, but one thing is certain - the Austrian Grand Prix will be an exciting and closely contested race.