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Andrea Kimi Antonelli has exceeded every expectation placed on him before the season started. While George Russell was being discussed as the title favourite before the first light went out in Australia, Antonelli has taken four of the first five races and built a 43-point lead over his own teammate. The two most decorated active drivers on the grid have watched it happen and cannot find much to criticise.
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After the Canadian Grand Prix, Hamilton was generous and reflective in equal measure. "He is already doing it brilliantly. I am not going to give him any more pointers." He then offered a personal comparison that went beyond a simple compliment.
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"My 2007 season was the one I was fighting for personally. It was a lot. I was a little older than him, I was 22. I think things were different then. It just feels like it was different back then." The contrast he was drawing was about the support structure Antonelli has around him compared to what Hamilton had in his debut championship season. "Toto Wolff has done brilliant work surrounding him with the right support, and I absolutely did not feel that. The team was nice and everything, but the right elements were not there to support you, to help you stay stable and guide you. And it was quite intense, especially in my first year. But I would not change it for the world."
Verstappen Acknowledges the Task That Lies Ahead
Verstappen kept his assessment shorter but arrived at the same conclusion. "He is clearly doing brilliantly." He then turned to the challenge Antonelli still faces rather than dwelling on what has already been achieved. "A championship is long and they are won by simply being consistent and not making mistakes. But he knows that, so every weekend you just have to try to maximise, try to be better than your teammate, and then I am sure he has a good chance. But still a long way to go. What he is doing right now is working very well."
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
I. Hadjar
A. Antonelli
C. Leclerc
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