Best time in practice for the Italian driver who can become world champion today: he must win the race with Russell ninth and Hamilton fifth
Kimi Antonelli the first match ball for the world title will be played from the best possible position, the pole position. The leader of the Formula 1 standings has achieved the best time on the Austin circuita perfect lap that allowed him to precede Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar, both driving for Red Bull, the team that in recent months is proving to be the fastest and is a candidate to be the great opponent of Antonelli and Mercedes for next season. He will also start from the second row Charles Leclerc who achieved the fourth fastest time in his Ferrari ahead of his teammate Lewis Hamilton. But the Monegasque has something to complain about because paradoxically with the time obtained in Q2 he would have started on the front row, however in the laps of Q3 he was unable to improve, actually worsening the time previously obtained.
Russell the great loser
George Russell comes out with broken bones from the official qualifications, the Briton ended up at sixth place by more than four tenths from his teammate, an enormity. Kimi Antonelli proved once again that he is the fastest, but also that he has only one thought in mind, that of always being first, both in practice and in the race. No calculations and a heavy foot on the accelerator to prove more and more every day that he is the fastest. Kimi obviously starts as the big favorite after obtaining pole position, to be world champion he must win the race with Russell ninth or further back e Hamilton fifth or further back. Difficult conditions to achieve, but the finish line is within reach and Kimi proves that he doesn’t feel any kind of tension. As soon as he got out of the cockpit he hugged his father and whispered to him: “The last lap was a lot of stuff” with the simplicity that belongs to a twenty-year-old boy who is about to bring Italy back to triumph 73 years after Alberto Ascari’s world championship victory in 1953. It doesn’t matter whether it will be today or later. Kimi is now interested in winning in Austin: «Because I haven’t been on the top step of the podium for a while, I also know that it will be difficult because there are always very unpredictable races here. At least – he says smiling after qualifying – I know I’m starting from the best position so I can play it.”
