Antonelli arrives in Japan with hand brace as Melbourne injury heals
Kimi Antonelli arrived at Suzuka with momentum from his maiden Formula 1 victory in China, but also with a visible reminder of the crash that disrupted his weekend in Melbourne.
According to RacingNews365 reporters Fergal Walsh and Sàndor Mészáros, the Mercedes driver has been wearing a brace on his hand after the problem he picked up during final practice for the Australian Grand Prix. The injury has continued to heal in the weeks since the accident, although Antonelli has made clear that he does not see it as a threat to his participation in Japan.
Brace tied to Melbourne crash
The issue dates back to the high speed accident Antonelli suffered at the exit of Turn 2 at Albert Park earlier this month. The crash immediately raised questions about whether he would be able to take part in qualifying, given how late in the weekend it happened and how severe the impact looked at the time.
He still managed to return in Q1 and recover strongly enough to secure second on the grid, a result that showed he had avoided a more serious setback even if the hand injury itself did not disappear completely.
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Antonelli says strain will not stop him
Speaking to media in Japan, including RacingNews365, Antonelli said the scans brought reassuring news and that the problem is limited to ligament strain rather than a broken bone. He said: “It [is from] when I crashed in FP3 in Australia. Nothing bad, I can still drive. That's the most important thing. I did a scan, there's nothing broken, just ligament strain. But I just need to wear this to help it heal. But when I drive, I'm okay to drive without it, so it's nothing to worry about.”
His explanation suggests the brace is there to support the recovery process, not because Mercedes expects the injury to prevent him from competing normally this weekend.
China win adds confidence before Suzuka
The tone around Antonelli has also been shaped by what happened after the Melbourne crash, because he followed his second place finish in Australia with the first grand prix win of his career in China. That sequence has made the injury feel more like a lingering inconvenience than a major concern, especially as the teenager continues to build confidence in his first full Formula 1 season.
When reminded that he won immediately after the crash weekend, Antonelli responded with a joke, saying: “Exactly! Maybe I'll keep it the whole year.” The comment reflected a relaxed mood from a driver who appears to have turned a worrying moment in Australia into another sign of how quickly he is settling into life at the front of the grid.
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Sources: RacingNews365
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