Sky Sports was forced to apologise during its Austrian Grand Prix coverage after Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli swore in the cooldown room following the race. Commentator David Croft quickly expressed contrition after the 19-year-old Italian dropped an expletive while watching race highlights on a television in the room.
Antonelli's Expletive and Sky Sports Apology
As Antonelli and Red Bull's Max Verstappen waited for race winner George Russell to join them in the cooldown room, footage of their on-track battle was shown on screen. Antonelli exclaimed, "F*** that was close." Croft immediately apologised to viewers, saying, "Not one but two Mercedes drivers in need of a lot of water there. Apologies for any language that you heard that you might have been offended by."
Race Outcome and Championship Implications
George Russell claimed victory at the Red Bull Ring, narrowing the gap to championship leader Antonelli in the standings. Verstappen finished third despite appearing to have the most pace at times. Antonelli tried in vain to haul in Verstappen, but could not secure a higher podium position.
Cooldown Room Conversations
In the cooldown room, Verstappen commented on his improved race pace compared to previous races. "The race pace for sure was better than what we have shown so far," he told Antonelli. He also noted that the high temperatures made his drink taste like "a tea." Both Mercedes drivers reported that their drinks systems were not working. The trio were also surprised by the lack of straight-line speed from the Ferrari cars.
Hamilton's Post-Race Comments
After the race, Lewis Hamilton pointed to tyre issues affecting his performance. "With George, I was holding on for a second, and then the rears just dropped off on every set. For some reason, the balance was very off. Very difficult," he said. "On Friday, we were down six-tenths on just straight line speed and I need to go see what the case was today, but I'm sure it was not insignificant. And then, grip-wise, we just couldn't keep up with everyone today. So it was a tough one, but I'm grateful for the points. The team did a great job on the strategy and with the pit stops."
Red Bull Team Principal's Reaction
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies expressed satisfaction with Verstappen's competitiveness. "The most satisfying element was the pace. For the first time this season we have enough to win so a big credit to everyone back in Milton Keynes," he said. "We know we need more as our competition will continue to bring updates but we are now within the last tenths needed to be on top of the podium. It is a move in the right direction. I think it is fair to say Kimi Antonelli was the fastest guy out there and perhaps Max Verstappen was a little faster than George Russell. Starting positions do matter."
