Melbourne: Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli escaped injury but left his team with a massive repair job after a heavy crash Saturday in the final practice session for the Australian Grand Prix.

The 19-year-old Italian, entering his second season in Formula One, lost control of his Mercedes at the exit of Turn 2 at the Albert Park circuit. Antonelli appeared to accelerate aggressively over a curb, causing the car to snap violently and spear nose-first into the concrete barriers.

The impact, measured at 17G, caused significant damage to the front end and chassis. While Antonelli climbed from the cockpit unaided and confirmed he was unhurt over team radio, the wreckage triggered an immediate red flag that ended the session prematurely.

At the time of the crash, Antonelli was fourth on the leaderboard, trailing pace-setter Charles Leclerc of Ferrari by 0.497 seconds. His teammate, George Russell, eventually moved to the top of the timesheets once the session briefly resumed.

The incident is a setback for Antonelli, who had led much of the session and is under high expectations following a standout debut season. Mercedes mechanics now face a race against time to rebuild the car before the Qualifying session scheduled for later Saturday afternoon.

"I'm OK," Antonelli told the team. However, former driver and commentator Martin Brundle noted that the extensive damage to the W17 could jeopardise the rookie’s participation in the battle for pole position.