appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Agence France-Presse

Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli seeks a sensational fourth consecutive victory to boost his F1 drivers’ title bid this weekend, but expects a robust response from Mercedes teammate George Russell at the Canadian Grand Prix.
The 19-year-old rising star of Italian sport leads the Briton, nine years his senior and the pre-season favourite for the title, by 20 points after four rounds of the 22-race championship as Mercedes unveiled a major upgrade package.
For Russell, it is important to re-establish his authority in the team after two fourth-place finishes allowed his teammate to revel in being the sole Silver Arrows man, astride the top of the podium.
“I am expecting George, for sure, to be super-strong again in Canada,” said Antonelli, whose precocious talent, wide smile and curly hair have become an image for Italian sporting optimism following their football team’s failure to qualify for the World Cup.
“He’s always been strong in Montreal and he won last year so I have to be ready and be fully focused. I will do my best.”

In addition to his hat-trick of pole, victory and fastest lap last year, Russell took pole at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in 2024 and would fancy his chances of winning both Saturday’s sprint race and Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Last year, Antonelli was fourth on the grid and finished third, his first podium finish.
This time, he hoped to be the first Italian since Alberto Ascari in 1952 to claim four straight wins, when he reeled off six.
Mercedes’ team chief Toto Wolff has sidestepped frenzied talk of Antonelli’s prospects to concentrate on keeping balanced and cool.
“Performance is only performance when it is delivered on track,” he stressed.
“We are just four races into the season and there is a long year ahead. It is an important race for us, but it does not decide anything. So, we stay balanced, keep learning and execute as well as we can.”
Mercedes’ challengers hopeful
The championship-leading Silver Arrows men are likely to be challenged by Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull, with four-time champion Max Verstappen, who took part at the Nurburgring 24-Hours race last weekend, aiming to add to his three previous wins for Red Bull.
World champion Lando Norris won the sprint last year ahead of McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, but the pair collided in the Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton and his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc will also be strong contenders despite team boss Fred Vasseur grumbling about rule changes, notably to the starting procedures, which have negated an advantage they enjoyed.

“It was a bit harsh for us,” he said of the introduction of a blue light five-second warning to ensure teams spooled up their turbos.
“I understand what they did, for safety grounds, but the other option would have been to ask the others to start from the pit-lane if they think it’s not safe.”
Lance Stroll will be the only Canadian in the race, but like teammate Fernando Alonso, has little optimism as Aston Martin have struggled for performance with an uncompetitive Honda engine.
Alonso has hinted he is likely to retire from F1 and will decide his future during the summer months of the European leg of the season.


Fiery crashes and costly karts do little to deter Hongkonger Han from chasing F1 dream

Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Tag Heuer and the rise of pastel watches

Beijing bets on a US$1 trillion sports boom to revive consumption, job market

Meet tennis No 1 Aryna Sabalenka’s fiancé, Oakberry founder Georgios Frangulis

Formula One (F1)

F1 Canadian Grand Prix: Kimi Antonelli seeks to extend sensational start with fourth win

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli won the Miami Grand Prix earlier this month, his third win of the season. Photo: AFP

Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli (left) and George Russell before the Miami Grand Prix. Photo: Reuters

Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll (left, with teammate Fernando Alonso) is the only Canadian in the race. Photo: AFP

Hong Kong fencing coach ‘happy with team’ despite lacklustre display at Shanghai Grand Prix

World No 1 Ryan Choi, here at the National Games last year, lost to an opponent who had not beaten him since before Covid. Photo: Elson Li

Harris Ho, here at the Lima Grand Prix, had solid results throughout the season. Photo: FIE

Victor Wembanyama’s dominant showing in Spurs win attributed to Shaolin Temple stint

Victor Wembanyama, the highly touted San Antonio star, trained at the famous Shaolin Temple near Zhengzhou last June. Photo: Handout

Victor Wembanyama (middle) dunks the ball against the Thunder in Game 1 on Tuesday. Photo: TNS

Victor Wembanyama passed the Shaolin martial arts evaluation in China. Photo: Handout

Victor Wembanyama (left) was ejected after a foul on the Timberwolves’ Naz Reid last week. Photo: Imagn Images

Sport

Italian, 19, expects strong responses from teammate George Russell, who won the race last year, and from Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull


Italian, 19, expects strong responses from teammate George Russell, who won the race last year, and from Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull.


F1 Canadian Grand Prix: Kimi Antonelli seeks to extend sensational start with fourth win

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Italian, 19, expects strong responses from teammate George Russell, who won the race last year, and from Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull

Italian, 19, expects strong responses from teammate George Russell, who won the race last year, and from Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull