MADRID.- A few days after their crazy comeback to win in monzathe Italian Kimi Antonelli leader of the Formula 1 World Cupwants to confirm himself as a great candidate for the title this weekend in Spainwhere the pilots discover the new circuit of Madrid.
The 20-year-old has hardly had time to savor his latest victory at home at the “Temple of Speed”, where he won after starting nineteenth, since the demanding Madrid event came just a few days later.
With 66 points ahead of his teammate in mercedesthe British George Russelland already entering the second half of the course, Antonelli is in a very favorable position, although he is trying to reduce the euphoria.
“There is a lot of season left, it is too early to make decisions on the track thinking about the title. I don’t want to face rehearsals or races thinking about the title, I am going to do everything possible to avoid that,” insisted the young Italian.
Russell, resigned
His main adversary, his teammate Russell, even seemed resigned on Sunday after being overtaken by Antonelli four laps from the end of the Monza race.
“I don’t think it’s possible (to overcome the general disadvantage), since Kimi currently drives at an incredible level, he’s better than me. I’m not thinking about the championship,” he said.
Thinking about the new Madring this weekend, Russell estimated that the Big Tent is facing “the most dangerous circuit of the year, probably.”
The slightest mistake will pay dearly in this Grand Prize: At the end of August, when F3 drivers tested the track, there were 19 session interruption flags.
“I think we will have quite a few red flags,” the French driver predicted this Thursday. Pierre Gaslyof Alpinewho compared his strategy to follow with the one he uses in Monacoan urban circuit of the Formula 1.
Leclerc-Hamilton Talk
This Thursday, on the eve of the first free rehearsals, echoes of the incident between the two could still be heard. Ferrari in Monza.
The Monegasque Charles Leclerc He admitted having made a mistake by forcing his partner Lewis Hamilton two wheels went off the track, into the gravel area, while Leclerc himself continued the race before violently leaving the track on the third lap.
Leclerc explained that he spoke with Hamilton later to clarify what happened.
“It is clear that we do not want to see how another car from your own team ends up in the grass,” said the Monegasque at his press conference in the Spanish capital.
“After reviewing the sequence, I spoke to Lewis. Of course, I know that I went too far in the second corner and I told him so. I think we have to avoid this in the future, that is very clear,” he admitted.
Leclerc also regretted that this incident on the track had greater media coverage as it was the race in Italywhere the tifosi are especially aware of the performance of the Ferraris.
For the Spanish public, two of the attractions will undoubtedly be their compatriot drivers, who are in the lower half of the classification of this World: Carlos Sainz Jr (16th, 6 points) and Fernando Alonso (19th, 3 points).
