Andrea Kimi Antonelli is already facing a grid penalty during his home race at Monza, but a fine might also be added. The young Italian accidentally let a swear word slip during an official FIA press conference before the race weekend. “Now I’m going to worry about the fine that’s coming,” he said immediately, referring to the previous penalties of Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc for similar offenses.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, as the home hero, received the most questions at the Thursday press conference in Monza. The young Italian spoke for a long time until things went wrong at one point. During a question about crashes in high-speed corners at Monza, the Mercedes driver accidentally let a swear word slip.
“In a fast corner, do I think about a crash? No, it goes too fast,” the Italian began his answer. “You know, you just go for it. Otherwise, you just prepare for the impact. But we all know how dangerous this sport is. Ultimately, that’s what we love to do the most, and we know it comes with risk. And I think F1, together with the FIA, has done fantastic work in terms of safety. The cars are nowadays much, much safer than before.”
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‘Now I’m going to worry about the fine’
Kimi Antonelli then searched for the right words when he accidentally said the English swear word ‘shit’. “But of course, we are fully aware of the risk that exists, because… ‘oh, shit.’ Sorry. Oh my god. Sorry. Sorry. I swore. But oh my god. What have I done now? Yes. Now I’m going to worry about the fine that’s coming.”
The concerns of the young Mercedes driver are not unfounded. Max Verstappen previously received a penalty for using a swear word during the 2024 Singapore GP. The Dutchman received a community service penalty for it. Not long after, Charles Leclerc was fined €10,000 – of which €5,000 was waived – for a similar offense during the 2024 Mexico City Grand Prix.
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