Kimi Antonelli escapes unhurt after car crash as Mercedes release statement

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli escaped “unhurt” after being involved in a car crash near his home.

The F1 team said the 19-year-old Italian’s car was the only vehicle involved in the incident in San Marino on Saturday night.

The Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that an investigation had been opened after an exclusive Mercedes supercar crashed into a road-side retaining wall, with the vehicle suffering “extensive damage”.

"We can confirm that Kimi was involved in a traffic accident on Saturday night close to his home in San Marino," Mercedes said. “The police attended the scene, after being called by Kimi. His was the only car involved and while his vehicle was damaged, Kimi was completely unhurt.”

Antonelli will take to the track on Wednesday as the next round of pre-season training takes place in Bahrain. The Italian, who replaced Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes after he left for Ferrari, passed his driving test in January last year shortly before the start of his rookie season in F1.

Mercedes finished second in the constructors’ championship last year - despite winning just two races - with George Russell fourth behind world champion Lando Norris and title contenders Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri and Antonelli seventh behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Hamilton.