66 points clear, but Antonelli isn’t fazed: “The job’s not done”
- Mia Wallace
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
Written by Mia Wallace
A 66-point lead in the championship fight is a significant achievement for anyone, but for 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli, it's just another day. Here's where his head is at ahead of the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.
19-year-old Kimi Antonelli has been lighting up the track for weeks now, with his win in Monaco last weekend being his fifth Formula One win in a row.
Despite looking pretty unbeatable in the eyes of the other teams, the Italian teenager is staying humble and showcasing his maturity even with a 66-point advantage in the championship.
"A lot has changed - the experience, first of all," said Antonelli when asked by the media how he has improved so much this season.
"You know better the track evolution, how the weekend pans out, you can balance your energy in a better way. But also, you become more aware of your potential, you know the team even better, so the bond gets stronger.
"So, all little things that play a massive role. As for the Championship, not really worrying about it. I know the opportunity that is on the table, and of course, I want to make the best out of it."
So, Antonelli is in a good place. Great to hear for Mercedes, but what about the other teams? Do any of the other top four competitors pose any threat this weekend? Antonelli weighed in on that as well.
"It will be an interesting weekend for us as we'll see how the package we brought to Canada will work, as we didn't see fully in Canada with the temperature being so cold," Antonelli explained.
"So, we'll see how the package works and how much it gives us in lap time. Ferrari has new bits this weekend, so they will be up there, and McLaren will be strong too, as it is a high-deg track, very hot, and Miami was similar - and they were very strong."
Rounding out his time with the media Thursday ahead of the race, Antonelli went into a state of reflection when asked if he ever imagined being in his current position.
To that, the teenager said: “Of course not.”
"Definitely, if you would have told me two years ago, I would have told you you were crazy. But I am happy to be in this position, happy and glad for the opportunity afforded to me and to the team, as the car this year has been incredible."
All in all, Antonelli is looking increasingly confident and relaxed in such a high-pressure position.
It’s also sounding like Mercedes is pretty happy with their package, and expecting it to perform similarly to Canada. Of course, this also means that Antonelli’s teammate George Russell will have yet another opportunity to find performance.
While things haven’t been going amazingly for him so far this season, Russell's performance in Canada was especially strong before his untimely retirement due to a technical issue.
With the way Antonelli is comparing this weekend’s performance to Canada, Russell may be on for a much more competitive weekend in Barcelona.
Still, nothing is fazing Antonelli.
“The job’s not done,” he concluded.
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