Kimi Antonelli’s unaired radio reveals Mercedes stopped him from fighting Max Verstappen in Malaysia

Kimi Antonelli disclosed that Mercedes prevented him from competing against Max Verstappen during the Bahrain Grand Prix, where he finished second. Verstappen secured a historic victory after overcoming Antonelli, who initially led the race before losing his position.

Mercedes' focus was on the championship, leading to instructions for Antonelli to prioritize his battle with Ferrari drivers rather than Verstappen. Despite his dissatisfaction, Antonelli was reminded by race engineer Peter Bonnington that they were not in a position to risk a fight with Verstappen, especially with teammate George Russell out of the race.