Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has hailed Kimi Antonelli following a dominant Formula 1 United States Grand Prix victory at the Circuit of the Americas. Wolff described the young driver's performance as the display of a champion in waiting, with Antonelli now requiring only a ninth-place finish or higher at the upcoming race in Mexico City to secure the world title.
Starting from pole position, Antonelli delivered a masterclass throughout the entire Austin weekend. He began the race on the medium compound tyre, fending off fierce pressure from front-row rival Max Verstappen alongside both Ferraris and Red Bull's Isack Hadjar, all of whom opted for the softer rubber on the initial grid phase. Despite managing the theoretically inferior tyre compound off the line, the Italian prodigy maintained composure to control the pace flawlessly from lights out to the checkered flag.
Speaking to the media after the race, Wolff emphasized that this was undoubtedly the finest drive Antonelli has delivered so far in his career. He praised the maturity of a driver who has continuously outperformed the machinery, noting that Antonelli's driving style is completely fused with the car's behavior. Wolff even pointed out that during qualifying, Antonelli still had additional pace in reserve that could have made him even faster.
Conversely, teammate George Russell endured a deeply frustrating weekend, culminating in an eighth-place finish after struggling to find a comfortable operational window with his car. Russell, who qualified in sixth, was handed a five-lap penalty during the opening lap while chasing Isack Hadjar. Stewards ruled that Russell gained an advantage over Oscar Piastri after running wide at Turn 12, which ultimately dropped him behind the McLaren during his pit stop.
Wolff expressed sympathy for Russell's predicament, questioning why the car struggled so heavily to overtake despite sharing identical power unit deployment. The Mercedes squad intends to thoroughly investigate the latest upgrade package and retrace every setup decision to ensure both cars operate at maximum potential moving forward.
Baca Juga
Simak alasan resmi FIA mengapa penalti George Russell di F1 2026 dikorting jadi 5 detik. Baca analisis mendalam insiden lap pertama di sini!
Simak alasan mengejutkan Maverick Vinales tetap nekat balapan di MotoGP meski cedera bahu parah demi hindari pemotongan gaji. Baca analisis lengkapnya di sini!
Simak analisis mendalam Fred Vasseur mengenai kegagalan Ferrari di kualifikasi F1 GP Amerika Serikat. Baca selengkapnya di sini!
Lanjutkan dengan Google
Diskusi & Komentar (0)
Mari Bergabung dalam Diskusi!
Masuk dengan mudah untuk mulai memberikan komentar, membalas, dan berinteraksi dengan pembaca lainnya.
Komentar Terbaru
Belum ada komentar. Jadilah yang pertama!