Kimi Antonelli has just made history at Monza, and expectations for him are skyrocketing. Sky Sports F1 lead commentator David Croft has no doubt that the Mercedes driver could become the youngest Formula 1 world champion, surpassing Max Verstappen's record. The praise is not without reason: Antonelli's recent performances have been extraordinary.
At the Italian Grand Prix last weekend, Antonelli started from 19th on the grid after a poor qualifying. However, he charged through the field, overtaking rival after rival, to eventually win in front of his home crowd. That victory made him the first home driver to win at Monza in 60 years. It also extended his championship lead over teammate George Russell to 66 points at the top of the standings, ahead of this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix.
On the Sky Sports F1 Show, Croft compared Antonelli's career trajectory to that of Verstappen. "12 months ago he was at Monza and was just coming out of a very difficult period where, from the podium in Canada, things had started to go wrong and he wasn't happy," Croft recalled. "He was working really hard with Bono [Peter Bonnington] to try and put things right and then went on a really good run towards the end of the season."
Croft added that Antonelli is currently doing things earlier than Verstappen. "He's going to be a younger world champion than Max was. He is a younger polesitter. He is a younger grand prix winner. He's getting everything done very, very early indeed and showing a lot of maturity with it," he said. "I've seen and heard signs on the track this year where he's controlling his emotions. He's calming down. He's keeping a lid on things that might have got the better of him 12 months ago. That is why people are saying this man is a generational talent."
Since the start of the season, Antonelli has been impressive. He took the lead of the standings after back-to-back wins in the Chinese and Japanese Grands Prix. Before the summer break, he had secured four more victories, and his win in Italy was his seventh in F1. If he continues to perform consistently, it's not impossible that he will break Sebastian Vettel's record as the youngest world champion. Vettel claimed his first title in 2010 at the age of 23 years and 134 days.
However, the journey is still long. This weekend's Spanish Grand Prix will be the next test. The Barcelona-Catalunya circuit is known for demanding aerodynamic balance and good tyre management. The Mercedes team must ensure their W15 car is competitive on all types of circuits. The battle with Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen remains tight, although Verstappen is currently quite far behind in the standings.
Interestingly, Croft highlighted Antonelli's mental aspect. "He's controlling his emotions, calming down, and keeping a lid on things that might have got the better of him 12 months ago. That is why people are saying this man is a generational talent," he concluded. If Antonelli does become world champion this year, he will write his name in history as the youngest, beating Vettel and Verstappen. Let's wait and see his action in Spain.
Read Also
Lewis Hamilton says changing Ferrari is a long-term process. Read his full comments on adapting to the team's culture and their championship ambitions.
Kimi Antonelli fastest in FP2 for 2026 F1 Spanish GP in Madrid, ahead of Leclerc and Hamilton. Norris set no time due to gearbox issue.
Kimi Antonelli tops FP2 at the 2026 Spanish GP, beating Leclerc and Hamilton. Arvid Lindblad crashes, Norris out with gearbox failure.
Continue with Google
Discussion (0)
Join the Discussion!
Sign in easily to start commenting, replying, and interacting with other readers.
Latest Comments
No comments yet. Be the first!