Antonelli's title armour cracks: Championship leader crashes out of Azerbaijan GP qualifying
The Italian made the first major error of his campaign when he hit a wall on the first turn
Kimi Antonelli showed the first dent in his world championship armour after he crashed out of qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
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The Italian has reigned supreme so far this season, winning eight of the 14 rounds staged to secure an 81-point lead.
But the 20-year-old committed his first major error in his title quest when he misjudged the opening corner and hit the wall in Baku.
Antonelli thudded the barrier on entry to the first turn, sustaining terminal damage to his Mercedes.
He attempted to limp back to the pits but was instructed by race engineer Peter Bonnington to park his stricken machine.
His accident, which is set to leave him 16th on the grid, allows George Russell the chance to take pole position and chip into his team-mate’s title advantage.