Antonelli fourth in Baku as Mercedes move to second in constructors

Andrea Kimi Antonelli finished fourth at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday, delivering his best result since a podium in Montreal and helping Mercedes reclaim second place in the Formula 1 constructors standings. George Russell recovered from a scrappy opening lap to finish second after a strong first stint on hard tyres, while Carlos Sainz took a podium place for Williams in a race of mixed fortunes for top teams.

Antonelli, 19, narrowly missed out on a place on the podium after pitting early and being unable to close the final gap to Sainz in the closing laps. "It was a much better Grand Prix than I’ve had in recent races. That said, I am still slightly disappointed that I wasn’t able to get myself on the podium," he said, adding that he had been closing in but could not reach DRS range for a final overtake. He also missed media sessions earlier in the weekend due to illness.

Mercedes officials and engineers credited changes in preparation and team support with Antonelli’s turnaround in Baku. The team said a full, troublefree simulator session ahead of the race allowed Antonelli to rebuild momentum after a difficult European run. Trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin...