There’s a new sheriff in town
Andrea Kimi Antonelli he almost risks not making the news anymore, even if it is only his second career success in Formula 1. And while his records continue to be counted – he is the youngest leader of the World Championship ever, as well as the first Italian to achieve two victories in a row after Alberto Ascari (and it was the 1950s) – the Mercedes talent admits that he still has to make some steps forward to be able to fully consider himself in the fight for the title. Starting, above all, from the management of the starts, given that his race was complicated with that slow motion shot that made him slip to sixth position a few meters after the start.
Comment by Andrea Kimi Antonelli
“Oh mama! Fortunately – explains Kimi Antonelli to the microphones Sky after the end of the Japanese GP – now I have three weeks to try to figure out how to get decent starts every time I go to the race. It’s a shame because over the weekend, during free practice, I felt quite good at the start, but there on the grid my fingers slipped a little, I didn’t have a great grip on the clutch and this meant that I released the pressure on the lever a little more than I should haveand then I made the rear wheels spin. It’s a detail that needs to be improved because today it went really well with the Safety Car, even if the pace was truly incredible, to be honest”.
And it is precisely that, the unsustainable pace for anyone, George Russell including, to turn the spotlight on the 19-year-old who, who knows, perhaps could have won even without the stroke of luck caused by the entry of the Safety Car at the right time: “Throughout the weekend I felt very good in the car. Surely the Chinese GP lifted a big weight off my shoulders, and I immediately felt calmer behind the wheel. Obviously there is still a lot of work to do and we will need to continue raising the bar, because our opponents will get closer. However, George is going very fast and will return to the top. This is why I have to work on the details, which are the ones that will make the difference”.
Can the World Cup dream be reality?
Meanwhile, there is the leadership of the ranking, a result that was unexpected at the very least until a few weeks ago: “I didn’t expect it and it’s nice, but I don’t want to think about it too much because there are still 19 races left until the end of the World Championship. The championship is still very long and it is essential to maintain this level of form and indeed try to improve it every time. The car is really strong and we are in a great position. I’m happy to be able to enjoy some rest in these three weeks. I will certainly practice with the clutch and analyze these three races well, trying to get back on track even stronger”, concluded Kimi Antonelli after the 2026 F1 Japanese GP.
