Gunther Steiner Speaks Plainly About Kimi Antonelli

The two victories at Monza and Madrid have paved the way for Andrea Kimi Antonelli to win the Formula 1 title: Gunther Steiner, the former Haas team principal, has little doubt about it, and on the “Red Flags” podcast, he didn’t mince words in praising the Mercedes driver.

“It’s a done deal now; he’s doing a brilliant job and deserves to win the world championship. He’s very confident thanks to the lead he has. He takes risks, but not stupid ones. That move on the first lap in Madrid… maybe it wasn’t necessary; there was no need to take that risk. It was unnecessary. He would have scored points anyway by finishing second.”

“Right now, he has all the luck in the world, and everything is going his way—even with the Virtual Safety Car. But as soon as the pressure for the title starts to mount, things will change.”

Former driver David Coulthard called Kimi Antonelli a phenomenon and rejected the notion of “luck”: “Some say you make your own luck. He found the winning formula in his second year in Formula 1 with this particular set of rules and regulations. Plus, Mercedes has given him a fantastic car. They’re undisputed champions, and he keeps taking risks without losing control of the car—the results speak for themselves.”