BAKU :Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli said he understood why Mercedes Formula One team boss Toto Wolff criticised his last race as 'underwhelming' and had taken it positively.

The 19-year-old, ninth in front of his home fans at Monza on September 7 after starting sixth, told reporters ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix that he hoped for a much better performance this weekend.

"I pretty much understand his comment. You know, me and Toto are always very open with each other, and we talk to each other quite openly," he said.

"I think it was mainly about the race. Qualifying was actually pretty good, despite the off in FP2 (second practice). But then in the race, especially on the hard tyre, I struggled a little bit. Also, I made a mistake at the start.

Subscribe to CNA's Recommended Read

See Full Page