Kimi Antonelli, who won the Japanese Grand Prix and has achieved consecutive race wins, now tops the championship standings as the youngest ever to do so, according to multiple reports. He crossed the line ahead of Mercedes teammate George Russell at the Japanese Grand Prix, with both driving the same car. Mercedes' W17 car is described as superior and powers Antonelli's charge to the summit, with F1's new regulations appearing to play into the team's hands and look well-suited to the W17's design.
Antonelli is now getting the edge over Russell, who is driving the exact same machine, multiple reports indicate. Toto Wolff went all in on teenager Kimi Antonelli as a replacement for Lewis Hamilton, and despite his lack of experience, Wolff's call now appears to be paying dividends, according to sources. Jacques Villeneuve dismissed Antonelli's chances last year, suggesting he had bitten off more than he could chew when he made his debut at 18.
It's too much too soon.
According to Daily Express - Sport, Villeneuve described Antonelli as having a terrible season in Formula 2, though the reasons for that performance remain unclear. Antonelli's success calls into question whether Villeneuve spoke too soon when he dismissed the Italian's chances last year. Antonelli took pole position and set the fastest laps in both Japan and China, multiple reports say.
How he will work on a full season developing and evolving the car, and whether he and Russell will collaborate with similar or opposite driving styles, are unknowns that could impact team dynamics. According to Daily Express - Sport, Villeneuve described the pressure on Antonelli as heavy, with media expectations high, raising questions about his ability to handle it long-term.
Kimi Antonelli had a terrible season in Formula 2. Is it because he was already signed for F1 and the pressure got the better of him, who knows? Or maybe because he didn’t like that kind of car, and maybe it’s better for him to be in a Formula 1 car. These are all question marks that we will find out very quickly, very soon.
He seems to be capable of taking risks and pushing the car, but then feeling where that edge is, we don’t know yet. Or how does he work on a full season developing and evolving the car?
How will the balance be between him and Russell? Will they work hand in hand with similar driving styles or completely opposite driving styles, which then makes it difficult for the team to evolve the car in a direction that pleases both drivers?
The jury is out on Antonelli, but so many people in the media want him to be amazing. I hope he is, because if not, it will be a very heavy load to carry for him. A lot of pressure on his shoulders.