(Motorsport-Total.com) – According to Jolyon Palmer, Kimi Antonelli could face big problems at the Monaco classic due to his weak starts so far. “In Canada, the way to turn one is quite short,” explains the expert on F1 TV. “In Monaco, the way to turn one is even shorter.”
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“But in Canada, you at least have a few overtaking opportunities. If he doesn’t get that under control by Monaco, then he could be on pole without a chance to win. He needs to work on that.”
The street circuit of Monaco is generally considered one of the tracks where Formula 1 cars have great difficulty overtaking successfully. Accordingly, criticism of the crown jewel of Grand Prix racing has been loud in recent years. Nevertheless, Formula 1 is expected to race in the principality at least until 2035.
So far, the starts for both Mercedes drivers have been anything but impressive. Still, Antonelli in particular repeatedly stands out for losing numerous positions in the first lap.
Also in Miami, the 19-year-old struggled with his starts, with team boss Toto Wolff citing technical errors by the team in both cases. Nevertheless, Antonelli himself was self-critical on race day: “It is still not acceptable.”
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“Especially on a weekend like this, where the gaps are so small, that can be decisive for the race. We have to work on it together with the team. Yesterday in the sprint, the procedure went well, but the grip level we expected was not there.”
Antonelli also noted: “That has to come from the team, but especially from me. I am still too inconsistent there, especially with the clutch. I lack confidence and consistency. I still feel a bit insecure there, so that has to improve.”
“But today was already better than yesterday. Yesterday I was really frustrated, today I was able to keep a cool head. It was a bit better, I could continue and focus on the race.”
In the World Championship standings, Antonelli leads ahead of his teammate George Russell. So far, the Italian is the youngest World Championship leader in Formula 1 history.
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