Kimi Antonelli shuts down Barcelona GP press conference question | F1 | Sport

Kimi Antonelli sparked laughter as he picked up his microphone for the first time in the FIA press conference ahead of this weekend’s Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix. Media day for the first of two Spanish Formula 1 races this year fell on the same day as the start of the World Cup across the Atlantic and so, naturally, many drivers were asked for their predictions.

Naturally Carlos Sainz, first to speak in Antonelli’s part of the press conference, talked up the chances of his homeland Spain lifting the trophy by the end of it all. And Franco Colapinto, sat on Antonelli’s other side, is in full Lionel Messi support mode having entered the paddock on Thursday morning sporting an Argentina football shirt.

But the whole tournament is a sore point for Bologna fan Antonelli as his homeland, Italy, failed to qualify. So when press conference host Tom Clarkson addressed him for the first time, the Mercedes driver was quick to get in a request. He smirked as he said: “Don’t ask me about the World Cup, by the way,” prompting laughted throughout the room.

He was willing to offer a few predictions, though, name-checking tournament heavyweights such as Argentina, Spain England and Germany as contenders. When one Portuguese journalist pointed out that he had omitted his country, Antonelli was happy to add Cristiano Ronaldo’s nation to his list of contenders, as well as the beaten finalists from 2022, France.

Matter soon turned, of course, to F1 and the fact that Antonelli is now way out ahead in the drivers’ championship thanks to five consecutive Grand Prix victories. He is 66 points clear of second-placed Lewis Hamilton and two further ahead of team-mate George Russell, who was the pre-season favourite as the more experienced of the two Mercedes racers.

But after a terrible run in the European portion of the season as a rookie last year, Antonelli started as he means to go on in Monaco last weekend with a comfortable win from pole and admitted this was not the position he expected to be in as a 19-year-old in his second F1 season.

He said: “Back then in F2, obviously the goal was to get into Formula 1 and then obviously see how the races go, how is the performance. Then, obviously, expectations, they change and also the objective of what you want to achieve changes. But I think definitely, if you would have told me two years ago, I would have said, ‘You’re crazy’.

“But obviously I’m very happy I’m in this position right now. I’m very happy and glad for the opportunities that were given to me and also for the incredible work that the team is doing. The car that this team has given us so far this year has been incredible and it’s allowing us to fight for wins and, so far, for the championship.

“So, definitely, it’s a super good moment to be in – but of course it’s really important not to get carried away from it. I’m just trying to stay focused, stay grounded and just focussing on the ultimate goal and trying to deliver every race.”