Kimi Antonelli, the young Mercedes driver, is nearing coronation as the Formula 1 world champion after his victory in Spain. With 14 races under his belt, he now leads the championship by 81 points ahead of George Russell, 101 ahead of Lewis Hamilton, and 106 ahead of Lando Norris.
In absolute terms, the largest deficit that a driver has managed to overcome previously is 46 points, as Max Verstappen did in 2022. However, he opened the season with the third race, while Antonelli has achieved this with an impressive surge this season, accumulating 454 points so far.
A possible scenario for his competitors
One of the key factors hanging in the balance is the number of remaining races. The competitions in Qatar on November 29 and Abu Dhabi on December 6 are in doubt, with indications that one or both could be canceled, possibly making Imola the final race of the season.
If this reduction is confirmed, there would be eight races left, with a maximum of 208 possible points in the upcoming events. It should be noted that Antonelli, to maintain his lead, could secure the title even with a series of fourth positions or a single podium in this final phase of the competition.
Antonelli’s moment
His competitors recognize the excellent work he is doing. Verstappen has highlighted that Antonelli must keep going like this, without complicating things, assuring that he has an environment that helps him manage pressure and continue maturing as a driver.
Norris, the only rival with chances?
Despite the large gap in points, Lando Norris seems to be the driver with the potential to make Antonelli sweat. After winning in Budapest and Zandvoort, the McLaren driver believes that even if he were to achieve the 208 available points, Antonelli would still have room to maintain the lead.
Antonelli has managed 116 points even with his eight worst results of this season, reinforcing the idea that his victory in the title is almost inevitable. In this situation, everything seems to point to the young driver being on his way to complete consecration in the world of Formula 1.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
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