Mercedes Teases Antonelli Over Rose Water Podium Blunder in Bahrain

Mercedes has poked fun at championship leader Kimi Antonelli after the young Italian's awkward podium celebration at the Bahrain Grand Prix, where he struggled with the traditional alcohol-free rose water spray.

Antonelli converted third on the grid into a second-place finish behind Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who claimed his first victory of the 2026 season in challenging wet-weather conditions. Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton completed the podium in third.

Why it matters:

• Antonelli's runner-up result extended his lead in the drivers' standings to 84 points over Mercedes teammate George Russell, who sits second.
• The lighthearted moment offered fans a glimpse of the 19-year-old's inexperience on the big stage — even as his results suggest he is quickly becoming a genuine title contender.

The details:

• In keeping with Bahrain Grand Prix tradition, the podium trio was given alcohol-free rose water instead of champagne — and Antonelli struggled to spray the drink in the usual manner.
• Mercedes leaned into the moment on social media, posting "You'd think he'd have gotten the hang of this by now!" alongside a video of the mishap.
• Fans were quick to sympathize. "The realest part is watching him shake it like that'll fix the pressure," one commented, while another explained: "Because they use rose water instead of the real champagne. This is under Bahrain GP rules. Poor Kimi."
• Others pointed out the obvious fix: "The team should've told Kimi it was rose water and not champagne. He's never experienced anything like that before, as some countries will not let winning drivers have alcohol."
• One fan summed up the mood: "The way he looks so sad" — while another joked he must have been disappointed he couldn't drench Verstappen on his first win of the season, "like Max does to him!"

What's next:

Despite the celebration hiccup, Antonelli remained focused on the bigger picture after the race. "Today was the maximum we could have done. Massive congrats to Max and Red Bull for the incredible weekend," he said. "On our side, a lot of work to do. We have been struggling more than usual, but I'm still happy to come away with P2."

With an 84-point cushion and Verstappen now on the board, Mercedes will be hoping their young leader keepsdelivering on track — and perhaps gets a quick briefing on podium traditions before the next celebratory spray.