Kimi Antonelli was warned by 1997 F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve to not imagine his personal hype after successful his fourth consecutive Grand Prix.
Antonelli leads the F1 title race with a 43-point lead over Mercedes teammate George Russell, with the Briton’s mid-race retirement considerably growing his lead in Canada.
However whereas Antonelli’s string of successes has been rightly praised, Villeneuve, who adopted the 19-year-old’s needs by successful the crown in his second yr, was fast to supply the Italian recommendation on methods to take care of stress in F1’s post-race round-up.
“He wants to remain calm and never imagine an excessive amount of in his personal hype,” Villeneuve mentioned.
Mercedes’ first indicators of fireworks occurred within the dash race
“That is a really harmful factor to do. While you suppose you are untouchable, that is if you make a mistake and when you’ve gotten a DNF like (Russell) did as we speak or you’ve gotten an accident, you lose 25 factors, the lead adjustments a lot and hastily you begin doubting your self.
“That is the massive threat. Proper now he is operating on the sting each lap and issues are going so properly that you simply suppose, ‘Oh, he is staying on monitor.’ It isn’t all the time going to be like this. So how does he react when one thing goes flawed? That is going to be the vital factor.”
“However for now he’s quicker than George. He covers him. The vital factor for the group is that George wakes up a little bit bit and begins believing in himself once more.”
There are solely 5 weeks left within the season, however the factors distinction between the highest two spots is already wider than at any level final yr.
Villeneuve gained the F1 world title with Williams in 1997
Nonetheless, though the hole between the highest two locations didn’t attain this stage, Russell can take solace in the truth that he was as much as 104 factors behind Max Verstappen, who completed the season in second place however was a great distance behind him halfway by way of the season.
Suggesting that Antonelli might already be occupied with the title, Villeneuve mentioned: “After all. The season is a curler coaster. There are occasions when every little thing goes properly after which there are occasions when immediately one thing goes flawed.
“After one or two races, you will recover from it. That is the hazard. And other people will suppose, ‘Oh, I can not win anymore.'” After which the opposite man begins believing that, too, and it is only a curler coaster. So let’s examine what occurs. ”
