Antonelli reveals support from Hamilton: He told me to keep my head up

Andrea Kimi Antonelli made nary concealed of the information that his play successful Belgium was a pugnacious one. The youngest operator successful the tract struggled astatine Spa-Francorchamps, some connected and disconnected the track. But successful the midst of it all, helium had the enactment of the seven-time satellite champion.

The Italian looked alternatively downcast aft qualifying, wherever helium crashed retired successful Q1 again and finished 18th. It was his eighth consecutive qualifying decision against teammate George Russell. And past came the antheral who knows what it's similar to thrust nether tremendous unit – Lewis Hamilton.

"He came to accidental hullo to the squad and we exchanged a fewer words," admitted Antonelli. "He told maine to support my caput up and that it's mean to person atrocious weekends. And to support believing. It was truly nice."

Hamilton recalls his aboriginal days

The experienced Briton, Hamilton, who himself made his debut for the apical squad McLaren successful 2007, tried to walk connected his acquisition to his young colleague. "I can't ideate what it's similar to beryllium 18 years aged — oregon astatine slightest I'm trying to ideate — to beryllium doing what he's doing," Hamilton said. "He's holding up fantastically. But to beryllium thrown into the occurrence astatine 18 ... helium didn't adjacent person a driver's licence erstwhile helium started racing."

"It's a immense burden. He's doing a large occupation and has a large squad astir him. I deliberation helium conscionable needs to spell measurement by step, and that's precisely what he's doing," added the seven-time champion.

The Spa play ended for Antonelli with a pit start, with the car tuned to much downforce to summation stability. He ended up finishing 16th, but helium says immoderate moments were better. "Those fewer laps erstwhile I had a wide abstraction successful beforehand of me, it was a batch much fun. But erstwhile I got stuck, it was frustrating due to the fact that you can't amusement immoderate existent speed," helium said honestly.

“Obviously I can't commencement truthful acold back. I person to enactment connected qualifying and get my assurance backmost successful the car, due to the fact that erstwhile I commencement person to the top, everything looks wholly different.”