Kimi Antonelli has a golden opportunity – but can he fend off Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton behind him?
Kimi Antonelli believes that he doesn’t need a “magic” start in the Monaco Grand Prix, but rather a “clean” launch to maintain his position. With a stunning pole secured in Monte Carlo, he aims to capitalize on his 43-point lead over teammate George Russell, who starts from sixth on the grid. Despite his strong qualifying performance, Antonelli faces fierce competition from drivers like Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, who have a combined 11 world titles and 176 wins. Acknowledging his previous challenges with starts this season, Antonelli emphasizes the importance of executing cleanly and not making any risky moves on the short run to Turn 1. While reflecting on his performance in Montreal, where he improved his start, he remains cautious about the unique conditions in Monaco and the need for a good pace due to potential tire degradation. Despite the lack of long-run data, Antonelli is aware of the difficulty of overtaking on the narrow streets of Monaco and the necessity of being prepared to push in case of unexpected developments.
