Wolff mocks Antonelli over clutch blunder after messy Suzuka start

The Italian had secured his second consecutive pole in qualifying, but failed to hold on to it into Turn 1 after a poor clutch release, dropping as low as fifth by the exit of the opening corner, even behind his team-mate.

Speaking to DAZN after the race, the Silver Arrows team principal jokingly suggested that Antonelli might need to go back to driving school to relearn how to use the clutch properly.

The Austrian went against the tide of criticism from the drivers regarding the new regulations and the type of racing produced by the current generation of cars, including at Suzuka.

While Sunday’s race featured plenty of overtaking - noticeably more than in last year’s edition - much of the action was shaped by differences in energy deployment rather than classic wheel-to-wheel moves under braking.

In his post-race remarks to DAZN, the Mercedes team boss backed the direction Formula 1 is taking, pointing to the strategic battle between harvesting and deploying energy as a defining and compelling aspect of the racing.