The young Mercedes driver, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, was involved in a traffic accident in San Marino a few days before traveling to Bahrain for the official Formula 1 tests. The incident did not cause any physical consequences for the Italian and only involved the vehicle in which he was traveling, according to the official statement released by the German team.
"Last Saturday night, near his home in San Marino, Kimi was involved in a traffic accident. The police arrived at the scene after receiving a call from Kimi. His car was the only one involved and, although the vehicle sustained damage, Kimi emerged completely uninjured", the German team reported about what happened.
The accident occurred on a highway near the Castle of Serravalle. According to the police reconstruction released by the local outlet San Marino TV, the sequence of the accident extended over approximately 144 meters (472 feet), which suggests that the car was traveling at a considerable speed. The car first crashed into a traffic pole, then into the guardrail twice and finally into a retaining wall on the opposite side of the road.
