Andrea Kimi Antonelli is the new world championship leader. The top of the standings is not accidental, but the result of careful preparation work to familiarize himself with the new way of driving in this new Formula 1, which is almost unnatural. The Italian, however, acknowledges the fortuitous help of the Safety Car in Japan and expects Russell to return to form in Miami. The goal will be to find the same harmony with the W17 experienced in Japan, enough to force Mercedes to restrain the Bolognese’s flair.
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Antonelli’s race
The only flaw in the Italian’s weekend was the start, when incorrect clutch control caused him to spin the tires too much, losing positions. “I was very angry, but anyway afterwards I was going fast and the pace was good”, Kimi reflects with the Italian press. “Obviously I was lucky with the Safety Car, but at the restart I did what I had to do”. Net of the start, however, Antonelli has much to be satisfied with regarding his performance, the result of great confidence in the W17
“I am happier about the feelings I had in the car, I felt it in my hands all weekend. Even in the race I felt very good”. Perhaps too much, given that the team told the Bolognese not to overdo it: “I wanted to push more, but the team kept me on a leash. I understand a bit, I didn’t want the same thing that happened in China to happen again. Anyway, I had a lot of fun in the car, we were in harmony”.
The fruits of the labor
One of the areas where Kimi was superior to his teammate in Japan was energy management, adopting a driving style that allowed him to better exploit the battery on the straights. Antonelli says he worked hard in the winter to achieve these results: “The pre-season was much more intense than last year, I spent more days in England at the simulator, trying to understand the regulations. It’s not easy, because even if you try in the simulator, replicating the same things on track is not simple. At some points you have to go against what your instinct tells you. The difference, for now, is the fact that I did good preparation and that I made an effort to make unnatural things more natural, so as to do them without having to push myself too hard”.
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The first month of the championship went even beyond the Italian’s expectations: “I certainly didn’t imagine it, but it’s nice. In any case, I don’t want to pay too much attention to it, because the championship is still long and there are many races. George will definitely return to the top, so we will have to continue to raise the bar. It’s certainly a good situation. There are still many areas where we need to work, but we are on the right track for now”.
Looking to Miami
One mistake Antonelli doesn’t want to make is to underestimate his opponents, starting with his own teammate: “Obviously it was a weekend in which he struggled more than usual, but I’m sure that in Miami he will be back at the top. For him, this weekend was a hiccup, it certainly wasn’t easy. I was the one who benefited from the Safety Car. He was unluckier because he pitted the lap before. He certainly struggled, but he was equally fast”.
It would also be premature to exclude external competition, Ferrari and McLaren above all, from the title race. Vasseur is convinced that a new championship will begin in Miami, but Antonelli places his trust in Mercedes: “Honestly, I don’t know what will happen in Miami. I only know that the team is working very effectively. There are no concerns about the compression ratio, the team is calm. We are aware that the opponents will get closer, but at the same time we are already thinking about the next tracks and the developments to bring, so they are pushing hard. There is great serenity in the team and awareness of the potential, but the situation can change in an instant”.
