Andrea Kimi Antonelli missed a chance to make the same well-timed pit stop as Lewis Hamilton in the Belgian Grand Prix because Mercedes were unwilling to pit him.

As the track dried at the start of Sunday’s race, the rookie driver reported on his radio the track was ready for slick tyres on lap 11. However his race engineer Peter Bonnington told him to stay out.

Four other drivers pitted on the same lap, led in by Hamilton, who gained seven places. Fernando Alonso, who ran behind Antonelli until he pitted, also gained seven places thanks to his well-timed tyre change.

Antonelli came in on the next lap, at the same time as most other drivers, which cost him the chance to jump ahead of them.

This was the second race in a row in which Antonelli’s result potentially suffered because Mercedes did not heed his feedback regarding tyres.

At Silverstone, Antonelli told Mercedes the track conditions were still too wet to consider switching from intermediates to slicks during the race’s first Virtual Safety Car period. “The last sector is way too wet yet,” he informed Bonnington.

However the team chose to put him on hard slick tyres which his team mate George Russell had already switched to. “George is managing to generate decent temp so we are going to box, end of this lap,” said Bonnington. After the race team principal Toto Wolff admitted they should have left Antonelli on his intermediates.

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Antonelli’s Spa radio messages

Lap: 8/44 ANT: 2’04.219 Antonelli I have a lot of oversteer. Bonnington We have a B-mig one available. And use reg magic for the last corner. Bonnington So just keep tyre temps under control as best you can. Lap: 9/44 ANT: 2’05.404 Bonnington You have diff mid eight available except for the first and last corners. Bonnington Still looking for water. Lap: 10/44 ANT: 2’05.624 Antonelli Exit of Stavelot
[Unclear] for dry. Bonnington Okay, copy. Transmission is poor around turn 15. Let us know what you think to the track conditions. And just open up your tools as that front drops off. Lap: 11/44 ANT: 2’05.433 Antonelli Exit of Stavelot
I think it’s ready. Bonnington Okay, copy. We’ll let you know. Just come down with your tools. We’ll stay out. Bonnington So we’ve got Lewis in. We will learn from him. Kimi, can we go HPP seven position five. Lap: 12/44 ANT: 2’08.264 Antonelli At Stavelot
Bono [unclear]… Bonnington Affirm Kimi so box, box. Lap: 13/44 ANT: 2’10.637 Bonnington He pits
Go menu wet position one. So Eau Rouge is the wettest. Eau Rouge is the wettest point. Other than that, the rest looks good. Bonnington And we’ll go diff init four when you can, diff in at four. Bonnington Watch for cars on pit exit. Think about removing diff magic last corner and reg magic in turn one. Lap: 14/44 ANT: 1’50.310 Bonnington Kimi we will go menu wet position one, menu wet position one. Antonelli Repeat. Bonnington Menu wet, position one. Menu wet position one. Lap: 16/44 ANT: 1’49.928 Bonnington Hadjar ahead was 50.0 and we need to do the menu wet switch change, menu wet switch change. That’s the position one.

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