Günther Steiner doesn’t mince words about Kimi Antonelli

We’ll be back on the track soon: next week, the Formula 1 World Championship resumes with the Dutch Grand Prix, which will also feature the fifth sprint race of the season. Surprisingly leading the pack after the first half of the season is Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who has won six races and holds a 50-point lead over second-place Lewis Hamilton.

Now, decisive months lie ahead for the driver from Bologna: Kimi, who is nearly 20, will have to prove he can handle the pressure of being the favorite to win the championship in the premier class. Former Haas team principal Günther Steiner also believes in him; on the “Up to Speed” podcast, he seems to have no doubts about the Italian’s strength.

“Kimi Antonelli will win. I think this young talent is doing an incredible job. I would never have said ‘Kimi’ six months ago, but now… he’s really delivering excellent performances. Mercedes is also in a strong position. Although they didn’t win last weekend, they’re still doing well. I believe Kimi will take home the title.”

Bernie Ecclestone is on the same page; in an interview with Blick, he put it bluntly: “Kimi Antonelli will win the World Championship, even though Verstappen remains the best driver on the track.” Words of praise also came from Max Verstappen, who told Sky Sports that the driver from Bologna is “really strong, really solid, the strongest on the team,” adding that “it’s great to see him” and emphasizing how Antonelli has managed to stay positive despite a few strokes of bad luck throughout the season.

Among his six wins this season, some true gems stand out: the Grand Slam at Monaco—pole position, fastest lap, and a wire-to-wire victory—and the triumph at Spa-Francorchamps, which made Antonelli the first Italian to win at the Belgian circuit since Alberto Ascari in 1953. Extraordinary numbers for a driver who will turn 20 on August 25, yet they don’t seem to have clouded his judgment: “I think I still have a long way to go before reaching the level of Max and Norris. So, I think I’m doing a great job and I’ve had a good first half of the season, but there’s still a long way to go to reach their level.”