(Motorsport-Total.com) – Things are currently going well for Andrea Kimi Antonelli. In his second Formula 1 season, the 19-year-old Italian is confidently leading the World Championship – 43 points ahead of his second-placed Mercedes teammate George Russell. But at this very moment of success, a man who knows what an early title fight feels like is sounding the alarm: Jacques Villeneuve.
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The 1997 world champion, who himself ascended the throne in his second Formula 1 season, urgently warns the youngster not to lose his grounding. In the F1 show after an exciting Canadian Grand Prix, the Canadian sent some solid advice via TV microphone towards the championship leader.
Villeneuve warns of the mental trap
“He has to keep a cool head and must not start believing too much in his own hype,” Villeneuve makes clear without ambiguity. “That is a very dangerous thing.”
The ex-champion knows how quickly the pendulum can swing in the top class when a driver feels invincible: “When you think you are untouchable, mistakes happen. Then you have a retirement – like George Russell today – or you cause an accident and lose 25 points.”
The consequence according to Villeneuve: The comfortable lead shrinks massively, and the ease is gone. “Suddenly you start doubting yourself. That is the big risk.”
The limit in the Silver Arrow: How will Antonelli react to the first setback?
Currently, Antonelli delivers a spectacular show week after week, which has not gone unnoticed by Villeneuve. However, he sees it as both a curse and a blessing: “At the moment he is driving at the limit every lap. So much so that you think: ‘Wow, he is keeping the car on the track!’ Things are going well, everything fits. But it will not always be like that.”
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For Villeneuve, the true test of maturity for the Mercedes driver is yet to come: “How will he react when something goes wrong? That will be the decisive point.”
Dig at Russell: “Needs to wake up a bit”
Despite all warnings, the Canadian leaves no doubt about who currently wears the pants within the Silver Arrows team. “At the moment he is faster than George. He has him under control,” Villeneuve analyzes bluntly and at the same time puts the teammate on notice: “Important for the team is that George wakes up a bit and starts believing in himself again.”
That Antonelli is already seriously playing with the idea of the title despite his young age is unquestioned for the Canadian. When asked about it, he replied: “Of course. A season is a rollercoaster ride.”
It is precisely this unpredictability that makes the championship fight so brutal psychologically. Villeneuve predicts: “There is a phase when everything goes well, and suddenly something goes wrong. In one or two races you overdo it. That is the danger. People then immediately think: ‘Oh, you will not win anymore.’ That makes the other start believing again. It is a rollercoaster ride. We will see how it goes.”
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