Kimi Antonelli was in position to challenge for victory in the British Grand Prix before a mechanical failure struck his Mercedes. Team principal Toto Wolff said simulations showed the driver would have caught leader Charles Leclerc with six laps left.
Antonelli delayed his pit stop by 10 laps compared to Leclerc. An aerodynamic component on the front-left of his car broke after he hit the kerbs at Copse Corner. He dropped positions and received a five-second penalty for track limits violations, finishing 16th.
Wolff told F1 TV that the team considered retiring the car for safety reasons but allowed Antonelli to continue. The Italian crossed the line ninth before the penalty was applied.
George Russell finished second for Mercedes and collected valuable points. Antonelli still leads the Drivers' Championship by 25 points, while Mercedes holds a 78-point advantage over Ferrari in the Constructors' standings.
