Andrea Kimi Antonelli has labelled Max Verstappen an "unknown quantity" ahead of this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The F1 championship leader acknowledged his rival's brilliance, even as he sits comfortably at the top with an 81-point advantage over Mercedes teammate George Russell with nine races remaining.
Antonelli, just 20 years old, is on course to become F1's youngest-ever world champion after taking his eighth win in 14 races at the Spanish Grand Prix. But he refuses to get ahead of himself. "It's not over until it's over," he insisted. "It's like tennis, one point at a time, here one race at a time."
Interestingly, Antonelli heaped praise on Verstappen, who has yet to win this season and trails by 147 points in the standings. "Max has an incredible vision of the race and how to position the car. In a very short time, he can read a situation very well and find an opening to gain a position," he told reporters in Baku.
"With Max, there's always an unknown quantity, especially in free practice. You never know what his true potential is, because when it counts, he always manages to find something extra. It's fascinating to watch."
Despite appearing unstoppable, Antonelli dismisses any suggestion that the title is a foregone conclusion. "I've thought about the championship and stuff, but by thinking about it I've always come to the final conclusion that I need to keep driving like I am and delivering the results," he explained. "The sooner it's over, the better it is. Still a long way and it's not going to be easy. It's going to be intense but I'm ready to give my best and to keep having fun."
Looking ahead to the Baku City Circuit, Antonelli is wary of threats from McLaren and Red Bull. "I think it could be a good track for us but if McLaren have the upperhand, or Red Bull with Max or even with Isack [Hadjar], then it might be one of those weekends where you have to be satisfied with maybe a podium or a P4," he said. "Of course the goal is always to win but we'll see."
He also stressed the importance of building momentum through the weekend. "You have no margin for mistakes, or very little, and it's going to be important to build up throughout the weekend, and when it matters to squeeze everything out of it. Always keep that tiny margin in case something happens. It is a cool track, very challenging. Hopefully we're going to be fast."
With nine races left, the title fight is far from decided. Verstappen may not have won yet, but as Antonelli says, he always finds something when it matters. And in Baku, where the walls are unforgiving, surprises can happen at any moment.
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