Why it matters:Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997 F1 world champion, launched a scathing attack on Kimi Antonelli following the young Italian driver's error at the Dutch Grand Prix, which ended Charles Leclerc's race. This incident, combined with a season of mixed results, puts significant pressure on Antonelli's F1 future.
The incident:
Antonelli, who has faced scrutiny for his performance this season, made a crucial misjudgment during his duel with Charles Leclerc at Zandvoort. The move effectively eliminated Leclerc from the race.
Villeneuve's blunt assessment:
Speaking on Sky Sports, Villeneuve didn't mince words, calling Antonelli's maneuver a "very poor" move reminiscent of F4 or F3 racing. He highlighted the lack of calculation:
- "Look how far behind he was before the corner. He was two car lengths behind. On which planet did he think it would stick, that it would work out?"
- "Everyone knows that when you go down to the inside like this, that track doesn't work."
- "It was just poor, poor calculation from his spot. He should be better than that in F1."
Villeneuve further added that while mistakes happen, Antonelli's was "not even that. It was just badly calculated. He shouldn't have done that. Then he got all riled up and (exceeded) speed limit as well. Maybe F1 is just too much for him."
Antonelli's tough weekend:
The race mistake capped a difficult weekend for Antonelli, who had already made an error on Friday, costing him the first 60 minutes of practice. He was also eliminated in Q2, qualifying eleventh, while his teammate George Russell secured fifth.
Age is no excuse:
Villeneuve dismissed Antonelli's young age (19) as a valid defense, drawing comparisons to Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton's F1 debuts. "He's in Formula 1. What age was Max when he arrived in F1? What age was Lewis when he arrived? So that's not a good excuse."
What's next:
The intense criticism from a respected former champion adds to the scrutiny on Kimi Antonelli as he navigates his rookie season. His ability to recover from such high-profile mistakes and manage the pressure will be crucial for his progression in Formula 1.