Untelevised team radio footage from the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has revealed the moment Andrea Kimi Antonelli asked Mercedes to tell him Max Verstappen\u2019s margin of defeat in the F1 2025 title race.<\/p>\n
It comes after the youngster apologised to Verstappen for his mistake at the previous race in Qatar, which gifted two extra points to Verstappen\u2019s main rival Lando Norris.<\/p>\n
Untelevised Antonelli team radio emerges after Max Verstappen apology<\/p>\n
McLaren driver Norris claimed his maiden F1 title in Abu Dhabi last weekend, with the British driver coming home third behind race winner Verstappen and second-placed Oscar Piastri.<\/p>\n
Norris\u2019s triumph saw Verstappen\u2019s spell of dominance come to an end after the Red Bull driver won four consecutive titles from 2021.<\/p>\n
Despite winning the final race of the season from pole position, Verstappen fell short of Norris by just two points in the final F1 2025 standings.<\/p>\n
Analysis: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix<\/p>\n
\ud83d\udc49\u00a0Abu Dhabi GP conclusions: Lando\u2019s big realisation, Max error punished, the McLaren way<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udc49\u00a0The cunning McLaren strategy that cornered Red Bull and delivered Norris the title<\/a><\/p>\n Antonelli found himself subjected to a torrent of online abuse \u2013 including death threats \u2013 after his mistake in the closing stages of the recent Qatar Grand Prix promoted Norris to fourth place.<\/p>\n The two extra points gained by Norris proved crucial to the McLaren driver\u2019s title success despite Verstappen ending the season with eight victories, one more than Norris and Piastri.<\/p>\n As reported by PlanetF1.com on Monday<\/a>, Antonelli approached Verstappen in the post-race media pen in Abu Dhabi to apologise for his mistake in Qatar.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry about last week,\u201d Antonelli told the Red Bull driver as the pair embraced.<\/p>\n Verstappen replied: \u201cMate, don\u2019t [apologise]. It\u2019s all good. It\u2019s all good.\u201d<\/p>\n Untelevised team radio from Abu Dhabi has revealed the moment Antonelli was informed of Verstappen\u2019s defeat to Norris, with the teenager anxious to learn the final points gap between the main title contenders.<\/p>\n Antonelli\u2019s race engineer, Peter Bonnington, is heard confirming that Verstappen won the race with Piastri and Norris coming home second and third respectively.<\/p>\n Bonnington then confirms that George Russell\u2019s fifth-place finish has sealed second place in the constructors\u2019 championship for Mercedes.<\/p>\n He says: \u201cGeorge finished P5, so that\u2019s secured P2 in the constructors\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n Antonelli replies: \u201cSo Norris won the championship?\u201d<\/p>\n Bonnington: \u201cAffirm, yes.\u201d<\/p>\n Antonelli: \u201cBy how much?\u201d<\/p>\n Bonnington initially misunderstands Antonelli\u2019s question, giving the margin Norris had over Charles Leclerc, the Ferrari driver, who finished fourth.<\/p>\n Bonnington replies: \u201cSo, Norris P3. Six-and-a-half seconds.\u201d<\/p>\n Antonelli: \u201cNo, but by how many points?\u201d<\/p>\n Bonnington: \u201cSo that\u2019s just two. Just the two points.\u201d<\/p>\n Antonelli offered no response.<\/p>\n More on Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen from PlanetF1.com<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc49 Andrea Kimi Antonelli news<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udc49 Max Verstappen news<\/a><\/p>\n