Kimi Antonelli arrived at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with an 81-point lead. But after finishing fifth from 16th on the grid, while teammate George Russell converted pole into a win, his advantage shrank to 66 points. The pressure is starting to show.
Former W Series driver and Sky Sports F1 pundit Naomi Schiff believes that Antonelli has "spooked himself" and must "get out of his head" to avoid crumbling under the pressure of the title fight. "I felt like when I was looking at Kimi on track this weekend and not just the mistake that he made [in qualifying], but just his general demeanour on track, it felt like a driver who's driving for that championship, but has almost spooked himself a little bit too much," Schiff explained on the Up To Speed podcast.
Schiff added that Antonelli seemed stiff in the car because he doesn't want to make a mistake. "He just needs to get out of his head. And we've seen it happen before. Last season he was in his head a lot as well. He managed to get that under control, and then he was driving more freely. He came into the beginning of the season a new man," she said.
Despite a difficult weekend in Baku, Antonelli still leads the drivers' championship by 66 points over Russell in second. However, psychological pressure could be a deciding factor in the title race.
Schiff hopes Antonelli won't "spook himself out of this" because it's easy for drivers to get caught up in worries. "It's such a psychological game that once you get in your head, you start worrying about things. You almost bring those things to yourself. So I hope he can free himself up," she added.
With the season still long, Antonelli's ability to handle mental pressure will be key in the championship battle. Can he bounce back and drive as freely as he did at the start of the season, or will the pressure continue to haunt him? Only time will tell.
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