ZANDVOORT, Netherlands (AP) — Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur welcomed Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli coming to him to apologize for a crash which sent Ferrari's Charles Leclerc spinning into the wall at Sunday's Dutch Grand Prix.
Leclerc came out from a pit stop ahead of Antonelli, who tried to pass Leclerc on the inside of a tight banked corner but clipped his rear wheel and sent the Ferrari into the barrier.
Leclerc had been in contention for a podium place earlier but instead watched the end of the race from a sand dune trackside.
“He came to apologize to Charles. Charles was not there, but he came to me. And honestly I appreciate this,” Vasseur said.
“It’s not so easy to overtake in Zandvoort. It means that you have to take a risk. He took a risk. He made a mistake.”
Leclerc said he believed the incident was an honest mistake on a track where overtaking is difficult, and refused to chalk it up to Antonelli's inexperience.
“I wouldn’t describe it as a rookie mistake. I think it’s just a mistake which can happen in the first year or the fifth year,” Leclerc said. “On a track like this you need to be aggressive (to overtake), but that was too much.”
Leclerc hit the wall in almost the same spot as his teammate Lewis Hamilton had crashed out earlier in the race, sliding wide on a track which had become slippery during a rain shower. It was the first time neither Ferrari driver scored points since their double disqualification at the Chinese Grand Prix in March.
What had been a promising race for the out-of-form Antonelli ended with the Italian finishing outside of the points for the seventh time in nine Grands Prix. That was because of a 10-second penalty for colliding with Leclerc and another five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane.
“I was feeling good in the car and just a shame to have missed out," the 19-year-old Italian driver told broadcaster Sky Sports. "For the contact, obviously it’s on me. I tried to avoid it, especially when I saw he was coming back in front, but it was not enough. So obviously I feel sorry to Charles and to the team and now we move forward.”
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco stands after a crash during the Formula One Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, Netherlands, Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy in action during the Formula One Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, Netherlands, Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco sits after a crash during the Formula One Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, Netherlands, Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Coach Steve Kerr spoke with Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga during the morning shootaround Thursday about the player's situation being out of the rotation for more than a month now with expectations he will be traded before the deadline next month.
“We talked this morning and that’s all private,” Kerr said. “I will keep coaching him, he’ll be part of the team, he’ll be here. It is what it is.”
Kerr discounted any issues between them as being reason Kuminga has reportedly requested a trade from the team after not being used in the last 14 games since Dec. 18 and 17 of 18 — though he has been listed as injured for nine games this season.
“Our relationship is fine,” Kerr said before Golden State's 126-113 win over the New York Knicks. “There's not a whole lot I can say about the other stuff. It is what it is, difficult situation for everybody and part of this league, part of the job. We just keep moving forward.”
Kuminga has been training much of the time on his own, shooting on the Warriors’ practice floor out of the eyes of fans at Chase Center. He wears a black hood over his head on the end of the bench during games. Perhaps Kuminga and the Warriors weren't a great fit from Day 1 — not that it's his fault — and he might be eager to leave and start fresh elsewhere. If so, the Golden State brass might want to make sure he doesn't get hurt before trying to trade him.
Yet nobody has taken issue with his work ethic, at least not publicly. Kuminga, selected seventh overall in the 2021 draft, has been known to stay long after games shooting on the arena's main floor.
“It’s not a distraction at all. It’s a very unique situation but our job is just to keep playing, keep winning, it’ll resolve itself one way or the other,” Stephen Curry said.
The 23-year-old from the Democratic Republic of the Congo has appeared in just 18 games total with 13 starts, averaging 11.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists.
On Sept. 30, he agreed to a two-year contract that could be worth up to $46.5 million if the team were to exercise its option for 2026-27. Kuminga had had a $7.9 million qualifying offer in hand since June 29 but was also weighing other options and he missed media day.
He has long had the support and confidence of teammates — like Jimmy Butler saying he has been having Kuminga over and continuing to encourage him.
“We love JK in this locker room, that's not going to change,” Butler said postgame. “If he happens to not be in here, we'll still rock with JK. I speak for everybody. We love the guy. I wish him the best here, I wish him the best wherever. It doesn't change. We don't listen to the noise, I hope he don't listen to the noise he keep coming here with a smile doing what he's supposed to do and being the ultimate pro.”
Kuminga missed much of last season with a right ankle injury. He averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 24.3 minutes over 47 games with 10 starts. He also scored 15.3 points per game over eight playoff games while shooting 48.4% from the floor and making 40% of his 3-point attempts. That included a career-best 30-point performance in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Kerr said the uncertainty around Kuminga's future “won't be a distraction.”
“Jonathan's a great young guy, his teammates like him,” Kerr said. "He's handling himself well.”
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, middle, sits near the team bench during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks in San Francisco, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (1) and Utah Jazz center Oscar Tshiebwe (34) swap jerseys after the Warriors defeat the Jazz during an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Justine Willard)
