Steiner: What happened with Piastri may happen with Kimi.

      Gunther Steiner, the former head of Haas F1, doubts Kimi Antonelli's psychological resilience and fears that the Italian Mercedes driver may face difficulties similar to those that affected Oscar Piastri's results in the second half of last year's season.

      The 19-year-old Antonelli has started the season brilliantly, winning three out of four races, in all cases starting from pole and currently leading the individual standings with a 20-point advantage over George Russell, his teammate.

      Of course, all this gives him confidence, especially since Kimi has clearly adapted to the new generation car faster and better than the more experienced Brit. The only thing is that his starts haven't been very good so far, but he has managed to recover each time.

      It's no surprise that Antonelli is already being called the main favorite for the championship, although just three months ago, few would have thought so.

      Gunther Steiner once again participated in the Red Flags podcast, and he was asked how justified such serious advances are.

      “To lose the title, you first have to win it, you understand? – he replied. – However, Kimi is already showing all the signs that he is little affected by what is happening around him, regardless of how events unfold.

      What I fear most is that he may encounter some difficulties, and this could somewhat shake his composure, as it did last year with Oscar Piastri. Let's say the Australian was in control of the situation until the summer break, and then things started happening that he didn't like, and he lost the championship.

      I agree, Antonelli's chances are high, but I think it's too early to make predictions. However, one can say whatever they want, but I see that George had no difficulties in Miami, so his result cannot be explained by anything holding him back. Kimi even performed better in qualifying and is generally handling his tasks just wonderfully.”