Kimi Antonelli reveals ligament strain behind wrist brace after China win

Kimi Antonelli has joked he might wear the wrist brace he’s currently using to battle ligament strain, having won the Chinese Grand Prix.

The Italian driver has been wearing a wrist brace to help ease ligament strain caused by his crash in FP3 in Australia three weeks ago.

Kimi Antonelli

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Antonelli appeared for media day in Japan resplendent in the new wolf-decorated team kit Mercedes has rolled out for the Suzuka weekend, but also boasting an extra accessory on his left hand.

The 19-year-old has his left hand strapped up for a second consecutive Grand Prix weekend, following on from his crash in third practice in Australia that’s left him nursing some internal strain.

“It was when I crashed in FP3 in Australia. Nothing, nothing bad,” he said, when asked about the wrist straps on Thursday in the Suzuka paddock.

“I can still drive. So that’s the most important.

“I did a scan. There’s nothing broken, just ligament strain. But I just need to wear this to help it heal.”

The Mercedes driver lost control of his W17 at Turn 1 at Albert Park, when he touched the kerb and went spinning violently into the wall before being launched back onto the circuit.

The crash recorded a G-Force of more than 25G, and the Italian had little time to fully recover from the weekend, where he finished second in the Grand Prix, before heading straight on to China where he had a strapping around his left wrist.

Mercedes told PlanetF1.com the brace is ‘a precaution following the Melbourne crash.’

According to a medical professional who spoke to PlanetF1.com, the splint is for his thumb and could be immobilising the metacarpophalangeal [MCP] joint at the digit’s base.

After injury, joints usually require between six to eight weeks to recover, provided the joint receives adequate support and protection, which the strapping on Antonelli’s wrist is providing.

The teenager won the very next Grand Prix, becoming the youngest race winner in F1 history, and joked that there might be a hidden benefit in terms of it bringing him good fortune.

“Maybe I should keep it the whole year!” he smiled.

“When I drive, I’m okay to drive without it, so it’s nothing to worry about.”

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With Antonelli delivering a hugely popular win with his victory in Shanghai two weeks ago, the Italian revealed how he marked the milestone in his career.

“I have celebrated, but not as much as I would have liked!” he said.

“Obviously, I wanted to celebrate Sunday night with the team, but I had to fly back home.

“I had a good celebration night with my friends on Monday. Obviously, after the race, they had a surprise for me. They surprised me at my house, and we had a nice evening.

“We didn’t do anything crazy, but it was very nice to spend time with them and as well with the rest of the family. Very soon after, I flew to the UK and started preparing and started to work on Japan.

“But I have to say, I’ve been really enjoying the moment, and I think, with a bigger break, I would have probably enjoyed it even more. Hopefully this weekend!”

Having broken his duck just over a year into his career, Antonelli vowed that his win won’t change anything in his approach to a Grand Prix weekend.

“It’s still the same. I think the only difference is that the win gave me a bit more awareness of the potential, of what is possible to achieve,” he said.

“But, in terms of approach, I want to keep the same, to be fair, because it’s been working well so far.

“So obviously there are areas where I need to work on and where I can do better. But yeah, I’m just gonna approach the weekend as another one without putting too much pressure on myself and try to focus again on the basics – driving well and enjoying the driving, because it’s very important.”

With Suzuka freshly resurfaced for this year’s race, and Mercedes aiming for a third consecutive race win following 1-2 finishes in Australia and China, Antonelli said he’s savouring the challenge that this weekend represents.

“I think the grip is going to be incredibly high and even more enjoyable to drive,” he said.

“Especially with this car, they have a bit less downforce, they’re a bit more challenging. But, when you have new tarmac, it’s always very enjoyable, because you have low tyre-deg, and you can push a lot.

“It’s such a beautiful old school track. Obviously, I have the experience from last year, and hopefully, this year is going to be a really good weekend.”

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