{"id":587562,"date":"2026-04-07T07:38:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T07:38:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/587562\/"},"modified":"2026-04-07T07:38:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T07:38:11","slug":"i-dont-think-he-will-be-world-champion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/587562\/","title":{"rendered":"‘I don\u2019t think he will be world champion’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Juan Pablo Montoya<\/a> believes Kimi Antonelli<\/a> will struggle to handle the pressure required to win the title against his teammate.<\/p>\n

The Italian driver arrives off the back of a stunning start to the season, having secured his second consecutive win at Suzuka after already triumphing in style in China in round two.<\/p>\n

In Japan, Antonelli also moved to the top of the championship standings, capitalising on a difficult race for his team-mate and becoming the youngest championship leader in Formula 1<\/a> history.<\/p>\n

However, speaking to a betting site, the former Colombian driver has cast doubt on whether Antonelli can sustain that level of performance over the course of the season.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI don\u2019t think Antonelli will be world champion. When Antonelli starts seeing that he might be leading the points, I think the pressure might get to him because he is so young and hasn\u2019t experienced this before.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Montoya, it is far easier to be the hunter than the hunted, a position that could now push the Italian into making the same kind of mistakes he showed last season.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s much easier being the hunter than being hunted. If you’re being hunted and you’re starting to get beaten again, he might spiral and start crashing and start making mistakes. I think for F1<\/a>, they have all the right stories.\u201d\"kimi-antonelli-japan-suzuka-mercedes-jpg\"\/<\/p>\n

Photo: Race Pictures<\/p>\n

Follow GPblog on social media to stay updated on all Formula 1 news: Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a> and TikTok.<\/a>Russell told to shelve \u2018Mr Nice Guy\u2019 persona and take the fight to AntonelliDavid Coulthard believes George Russell must now ditch his \u2018nice guy\u2019 approach if he is serious about mounting a title challenge, arguing a tougher, more uncompromising mindset is required.<\/a><\/p>\n

Speaking on the Up to Speed Podcast, the former F1 driver framed the championship fight as an all-out battle, especially in light of Kimi Antonelli\u2019s first win, with Russell needing to respond decisively to the rising pressure.<\/p>\n

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He also referenced behind-the-scenes content released by Mercedes, which showed Toto Wolff both supporting Russell in the moment and reaffirming his faith in him, offering a revealing insight into the team\u2019s internal dynamic.<\/p>\n

Listen to or watch the GPblog.com video podcast. In the F1 Paddock Update, Jim Kimberley and Ben Hunt discuss the latest Formula 1 news. New episodes are available every Monday and Thursday on YouTube<\/a>, Spotify<\/a>, or your favourite podcast app.