Kimi Antonelli says it would be "very scary" if Max Verstappen was a championship rival after the Red Bull driver won the last two Formula 1 races. Verstappen scored maximum points across the Sprint weekend in Singapore to add to his victory earlier this month in Malaysia but, unlike last year, is too far back to make a championship charge. Antonelli could wrap up the title at the next race in Austin on October 23-25, live on Sky Sports F1, if he outscores Mercedes team-mate George Russell by 23 points and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton by 14 points.
Antonelli had another damage limitation weekend in Singapore but still finished on the podium in third after a good strategy call by Mercedes to give him fresh soft tyres to overtake McLaren's Lando Norris and Hamilton late on in Sunday's race. "It would be very scary!" Antonelli told Sky Sports F1 when asked if he is glad Verstappen is not in this year's championship battle. Antonelli, 20, is set to break Sebastian Vettel's record of being the youngest F1 world champion and has six races to get over the line. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is usually cautious with his expectations but even he admits Antonelli is almost certainly going to win the title. "You look at the numbers and ask the probability of him winning, and it's probably almost 100 per cent.
But it's motor racing, you can break down, you can have accidents, and then things could start to stress," he told Sky Sports F1.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing