Former F1 driver John Watson knows what it feels like to drive from the back of the grid to victory. In 1983, he did it himself in Long Beach from a sensational 22nd starting position. That is why he watched Kimi Antonelli in Monza on Sunday with extra interest.
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Antonelli started the Italian GP on Sunday in Monza in nineteenth place but fought his way all the way to the front. According to Watson, there is more behind that special performance than just a fast Mercedes. “You have to be a real racer to be able to win a race from the back of the grid,” he tells Motorsport Magazine.
Watson said he recognized exactly that instinct in Antonelli last Sunday in Monza: knowing when to attack, not losing a moment, and seizing every opportunity immediately.
He ranks the young Italian among the generation of drivers who, according to him, only come around once every ten years, like Max Verstappen or Ayrton Senna. “Antonelli also has something that is unique at this moment; he could be the next great talent. There have been many good drivers who have won races and become world champions. But still, not everyone is that real racer.”
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there are many fine racing drivers who have won grands prix and have been world champions, who have not, in my view, been what I would describe as an out-and-out racer.
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