Max Verstappen supports Kimi Antonelli following the qualifying incident in Baku: “People overlook his age.”

Nonetheless, there seems to be no cause for alarm just yet. With an 81-point advantage over his nearest championship opponent, the buffer is reassuring, and, in addition, Mercedes is exceptionally fast in Baku, which should allow the young Italian to achieve a solid points finish.

Verstappen shares this perspective, emphasizing that incidents like the one on Friday are part of the developmental journey for a young driver, something he believes fans should keep in mind.

“Things like this can happen. Obviously, it's disappointing for him, but he’s still quite young,” Verstappen remarked when asked about Antonelli’s incident by Motorsport.com.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

“Perhaps people overlook that at times, especially in their discussions about him this season. However, this is a moment of growth and is simply part of the journey.”

While the lead over George Russell remains considerable, Verstappen mentions that such errors shouldn’t occur frequently, particularly to avoid reigniting hope for his Mercedes teammate in the title chase.

“You can’t afford to make mistakes too often, naturally, but with his pace, I believe it will all work out. Yet it’s undeniably frustrating. He’ll be the most upset about it himself, but Kimi still has every chance to secure very good points on Saturday.”

Verstappen isn’t the only one predicting that Antonelli will charge through the pack, as Russell also foresees a strong recovery drive. When asked on Friday about a potential comeback from Antonelli, the Brit humorously recalled Antonelli’s remarkable win at Monza from 19th on the grid: “You can’t count Kimi out. He started 19th in Monza and now he’s in 16th, so he should be leading by a few laps earlier this time!”