Max Verstappen retired from the Austrian Grand Prix on the opening lap after being wiped out by Formula 1 rookie Kimi Antonelli.
The Mercedes driver locked up under braking for Turn 3 at the top of the hill on lap, seemingly getting caught out behind Liam Lawson’s Racing Bulls car.
Antonelli managed to catch a slide as he veered right but could not slow the car down enough on the inside.
He narrowly avoided Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari but cleaned out Verstappen as the Red Bull driver navigated the corner with a wide line, seemingly keeping himself well clear of trouble until being hit hard on the right rear by Antonelli.
The incident forced both drivers to retire on the spot. Verstappen bemoaned “f*****g idiots” on the team radio and said it had been a “crazy hit”, while Antonelli quickly apologised to Mercedes and said he had locked the rear.
With championship frontrunners Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri running first and second early in the grand prix, Verstappen could be as far as 69 points off the lead of the standings at the end of the race.
The only silver lining is that as the incident was not his fault, Verstappen has at least ended the Austrian GP weekend without picking up any licence penalty points.
This means he has avoided an automatic race ban and, as two of his points expire on Monday, will have a bit more breathing room - although will now be three points from suspension until October 27.
