(Motorsport-Total.com) – According to former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya, Kimi Antonelli himself is the biggest threat to his first world championship title. “They have to close the garage, he just has to focus on himself,” he said on F1 TV before the Spa race weekend. “He can control this situation.”
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Especially the mental management of leading a championship is seen by the seven-time Grand Prix winner and two-time Indy 500 champion as a potential problem. “When the points lead shrinks, you start thinking about it,” Montoya explains. “And as soon as you start thinking about it, you will have problems.”
The gap between the championship leader and his teammate George Russell had gradually shrunk before the Belgian Grand Prix. Technical problems had cost the 19-year-old important championship points in Barcelona, while in Silverstone a part of his car had gotten caught in the suspension.
In addition, Antonelli had been somewhat cautious in qualifying at Spielberg, which allowed Russell to secure pole position and ultimately the win despite a yellow flag.
“Of course, that’s frustrating,” said the Mercedes driver in response to a question from our sister portal Motorsport.com in Spa-Francorchamps. “But that’s motorsport, these things just happen. Of course, I think that’s enough for now, but that’s part of motorsport.”
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“These external factors,” Antonelli said, “you can’t control. You just have to use every opportunity and maximize all that I can control. Then we’ll see how the rest goes. But that’s part of the sport, and the team is doing a fantastic job making sure these problems don’t happen again.”
At least on the Ardennes rollercoaster, the former Williams driver’s fear did not come true. After all, Antonelli was able to win the Grand Prix and extend his lead in the Formula 1 World Championship.
The gap between the championship leader and Lewis Hamilton in second place is 45 points, while the two Silver Arrows are even separated by 50 points. This fits with Montoya’s final statement before the weekend: “If they manage to get Kimi to focus on Kimi things, then everything will be fine.”
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