David Coulthard was impressed by Andrea Kimi Antonelli during the Miami GP. The young Italian faced technical problems during his winning streak and had to watch out for an approaching Lando Norris. That Kimi Antonelli still managed to secure the victory, according to Coulthard, shows that he has matured: ‘He has absolutely earned the right to lead this world championship.’
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Andrea Kimi Antonelli has won three Grand Prix races in a row, becoming the first driver this season with one hundred World Championship points to his name. The younger Mercedes driver also extended his lead by twenty points over teammate and closest rival George Russell in Miami. According to former driver David Coulthard, Kimi Antonelli thus showed that he more than deserved his status as the youngest championship leader ever.
“He has matured,” Coulthard says in the Up To Speed podcast. “He is only in his second season in Formula 1, but he not only faced the pressure that Lando (Norris) could strike at any moment (in Miami, ed.), but he also experienced technical problems with the paddle shifters, which meant he didn’t always downshift smoothly.” According to the Scot, by still winning the race, Kimi Antonelli showed he ‘more than deserved the right to lead the world championship.’
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Race starts
Kimi Antonelli himself had one criticism after the Miami GP: his poor race start. The Italian started the race from pole position but lost two places in the first meters. “Honestly, Sunday wasn’t that bad. I dropped two places, in the sprint it was six, so that’s a bit better. But no, it’s still unacceptable,” said Antonelli, who took responsibility. “That is certainly mostly down to me, because I am still a bit inconsistent, especially when releasing the clutch. But I still don’t have the confidence to be consistent there. I am still a bit uncertain, so that is an important point that needs improvement.”
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