At 18 years and 7 months also the youngest with the fast lap, record of earliness torn from Verstappen. Master’s Kimi in the management of the rubber and for ten laps first in Suzuka, before an ending in which he went stronger than all: “And next week we go to a track that I know better …”
Ten laps in front of everyone, to see everyone the effect it has. At 18, 7 months and 11 days Andrea Kimi Antonelli is the youngest ever to have been in the lead to a Formula 1 Grand Prix. Not a cammeo, for the Bolognese debutant born in 2006 to the third GP in a career on Mercedes, but a quarter of an hour abundantly of celebrities far from fortuitous, in the heart of the Japan GP, from the 22nd to the 31st lap of Suzuka: certainly linked to the contingencies of a race in which Sixth on the grill and sixth, but postcard of a performance filled with splendid content, started on the grid.
words
–
“It was a good feeling to be in front, but he did not take away my focus to try to maintain a good race step – commented Antonelli hot -. I am happy with how it went, especially the step with the hard, because in the last Sint I could ‘play’ much more with the car. I am doing more and more experience, weekend after weekend I am always understanding the rubber better, as I can push, starting from the qualification. I know much better, we try to make a better qualification and then see in the race “.
the grand finale
–
Splendid content: the most obvious precisely from the 32nd lap onwards, when he returned for the final race with hard rubber giving 10 second seconds to Lewis Hamilton who was turning him, and recovering 7 seconds to his partner George Russell put in front of him and ended up in front of only 1 “3. Everything turning like the big names, even better than the big names, marking a quick tour of the fast lap: even the youngest in the history of Formula 1, Record snatched none that to his majesty Max Verstappen.
The ascent in 1st place
–
Less obvious but perhaps even more important, for maturity demonstrated beyond the talent, the contents of a first part of the race in which he managed the average rubber with which he had started from veteran, because that first place that lasted ten laps was not a coincidence but the result of the choice and the ability to lengthen the first sint seven turns beyond the window indicated for the pit stop from the 19th to the 25th lap, one more of Hamilton with a hard tire. Everything remaining competitive, even when waiting for the box in the pits, the logic seemed to impose a physiological drop in performance.
Sorry for the delay
–
“I was also surprised by the pass we had – Antonelli’s comment on the grand finale -. When they told me that I was the fastest on the track a little I stayed … but let’s say that I gave everything, I saw that I was going to get those in front I believed in it until the end. Unfortunately I arrived … late”. Or perhaps in advance, already competitive with the best three weeks from the first career course Grand Prix: fourth in Melbourne, sixth in Shanghai, sixth in Suzuka. If Italy can smile, it is thanks to Kimi.
© RESERVED REPRODUCTION