Kimi Antonelli has been warned by former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya that while the “crazy pressure” may have lifted after building a 43-point lead in the drivers’ championship, things can quickly change if mistakes pile up.
The 19-year-old secured a fourth consecutive victory in the Canadian Grand Prix to increase his advantage over George Russell to a healthy margin after just five races, helped by the latter’s retirement.
Russell had been leading in Montreal before suffering a sudden battery failure on lap 30, marking a significant blow to the Briton’s title hopes.
Antonelli, meanwhile, has been going from strength to strength, with his shaky start to the season in Australia appearing like a distant memory.
The championship leader is becoming a real force with significant momentum, although things can change very quickly.
Oscar Piastri lost a 34-point lead while at the top of the standings last year, proving that while Antonelli can now afford a couple of poor races, he cannot relax completely, despite Russell believing there is a force working against him in the title fight.
Addressing Russell’s claim that it feels like something is against him in the title fight, Montoya told F1: “Champion’s luck. It’s just that when things are meant for you, they are meant for you.
“But it’s still a long championship, and things can turn really quickly.
“What this definitely does is take that crazy pressure off Antonelli. He knows that he can fumble a couple of times, maybe.
“If George beats him a couple of times, it’s not the end of the world. The thing is, you cannot let it happen too often, because then the ball starts rolling out of control.”