Max Verstappen quips regarding Kimi Antonelli’s F1 advantage: “I’m certainly not making a return!”
With either eight or nine race weekends left—depending on the outcome of the upcoming grands prix in the Middle East at the year's end—Kimi Antonelli is poised to secure his first Formula 1 world championship, potentially making him the youngest champion in history, surpassing Sebastian Vettel.
Following Antonelli's triumph in Madrid, teammate George Russell can no longer achieve the championship, even in a scenario where he wins all remaining races while Antonelli consistently finishes in second place. This shift means Russell's fate is no longer solely in his hands, prompting him to express to the media on Sunday that he feels he has stepped out of the title contention.
Antonelli, meanwhile, prefers not to dwell on the possibility of clinching a world title just yet. Despite the cliché, this is the exact mentality that experts, including Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, believe the young Italian should maintain.
When both drivers were posed the question of what guidance they would offer Antonelli for the crucial weeks ahead, the Mercedes driver interjected: “Well, I think they will hope for a comeback!”
In a lighthearted manner, Verstappen quickly quipped: “I’m definitely not having a comeback!”
Max Verstappen finished on the podium behind Kimi Antonelli in Spain
Last year, Verstappen was able to overcome a significant deficit by securing podium finishes in every grand prix following the summer break, but he understands that the current circumstances are vastly different. Now, Verstappen can only aim for a single race victory. If he does not win a grand prix this year, it would mark the first time since his debut season in 2015 that he has not reached the top of the podium.
As for his advice to Antonelli, Verstappen suggested that the Mercedes driver should continue on his current path without overly fixating on the championship standings.
“Kimi just needs to keep doing what he’s doing. I mean, it’s fantastic, it’s working really well,” Verstappen remarked.
“He shouldn’t stress about it too much, which I don’t believe he is. He’s performing, he’s confident, and he’s gaining more experience. He’s still young and early in his career, but he’s already excelling. It’s all going well.
“He shouldn’t complicate things unnecessarily, and he’s managing that. He has a strong support system around him that knows what he requires, so everything is functioning smoothly.”
Lando Norris said Kimi Antonelli doesn't need any advice
Norris believes that Antonelli’s competitors should refrain from offering any further advice, as the 20-year-old Italian is already proving to be a formidable contender for the world title not just this season, but in the years ahead.
“He’s leading by 80 points because he’s doing an exceptional job. He’s outperforming a significantly more experienced teammate, and a competent one at that, so I don’t want to offer him any advice because he’s executing his role frighteningly well—and he just turned 20. That’s pretty remarkable,” said the McLaren driver.
“It’s impressive to witness someone so young accomplishing such great feats and likely on track to win the championship. He’s been outstanding since the first race this year, making very few mistakes. He doesn’t drive like someone in just their second year in F1, that’s for sure.
“There will be many more years of competition between us, and I’m excited for what lies ahead. Hopefully, this year already, and I look forward to racing together in the future as well. I’m eager for it.”
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