Antonelli's Collision and Verstappen's Misfortune Shake Up British Grand Prix

Mercedes' 18-year-old rookie Kimi Antonelli faced a setback after colliding with Max Verstappen, a four-time Formula One champion, during the Austrian Grand Prix. The incident pushed Verstappen out of the race, marking his first retirement of the season and shaking up championship standings.

Antonelli lost control on the opening lap, narrowly avoiding Liam Lawson, before colliding with Verstappen, who was forced to retire. Verstappen, who started seventh on the grid, found himself sidelined, leaving him 61 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri of McLaren after 11 of 24 rounds.

The stewards ruled Antonelli fully at fault, handing him a three-place grid drop for the upcoming British Grand Prix and two penalty points. Verstappen, who had been a consistent presence in the points across 31 races, faced dismay but maintained a focus on learning and improvement for future competitions.