BAKU — Championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli has described four-time world champion Max Verstappen as an "unknown quantity" heading into this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the 15th round of the season. The 20-year-old Italian arrives in Baku with a comfortable 81-point buffer over Mercedes team-mate George Russell and a 147-point advantage over Verstappen with nine scheduled races remaining.
Antonelli, who strengthened his grip on the title race with an eighth win in 14 races last time out at the Spanish Grand Prix, highlighted what impresses him most about Verstappen despite the Dutchman not having won a race so far this year. "Max has an incredible vision of the race and how to position the car. In a very short time, he can read a situation very well and find an opening to gain a position," Antonelli told reporters in Baku. "With Max, there's always an unknown quantity, especially in free practice. You never know what his true potential is, because when it counts, he always manages to find something extra. It's fascinating to watch."
Despite appearing on course to become F1's youngest-ever world champion, Antonelli insisted the fight is far from finished. "It's not over until it's over," he said. "Until you cross that finish line, it's not over. It's like tennis, one point at a time, here one race at a time. Keep giving your best and keep trying to raise that bar, keep delivering results and see where we end up at the end of the year." He added: "As we're getting closer, I've thought about the championship and stuff, but by thinking about it I've always come to the final conclusion that I need to keep driving like I am and delivering the results. The sooner it's over, the better it is. Still a long way and it's not going to be easy. It's going to be intense but I'm ready to give my best and to keep having fun."
On Mercedes' prospects in Baku, Antonelli said the circuit could suit his team but warned against expecting an easy win. "I think it could be a good track for us but if McLaren have the upperhand, or Red Bull with Max or even with Isack [Hadjar], then it might be one of those weekends where you have to be satisfied with maybe a podium or a P4. Of course the goal is always to win but we'll see," he said. "You have no margin for mistakes, or very little, and it's going to be important to build up throughout the weekend, and when it matters to squeeze everything out of it." The comments come after George Russell conceded the F1 title fight after the Spanish GP, where Antonelli extended his lead at the top of the standings.