Mercedes Reveals Cause of Kimi Antonelli's Painful Barcelona DNF

Mercedes confirms Kimi Antonelli's Barcelona DNF was caused by a power unit battery failure. The 19-year-old had just passed George Russell for P2 in Catalunya when the battery failed on Lap 62. He remains the youngest championship leader, but Hamilton's Ferrari victory cut the gap to 41 points. Antonelli described the moment as sudden and unforgiving.

Mercedes technical director James Allison said the issue points to the battery module; a permanent fix is in development, with new modules to be phased in before the summer break. The problem has hit multiple Mercedes-powered cars this season.