Reigning world champion Lando Norris is highly impressed by the performance of the driver who looks set to succeed him.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli scored his eighth grand prix victory last weekend and has pulled 81 points clear of his closest rival – team mate George Russell – at the top of the championship standings.“He’s leading by 80 points because he’s doing an incredible job,” said Norris. “He’s beating a much more experienced team-mate.”
Antonelli was still a teenager when he scored his first grand prix victory earlier this year. “He’s doing a scarily good job [having] just turned 20,” Norris continued. “Pretty phenomenal.”
Norris closed within 83 points of Antonelli by winning the two rounds either side of the summer break. But his slim hope of retaining his title faded after Antonelli won the last two rounds, leaving the McLaren driver 106 behind.
If Antonelli clinches the championship this year he will break Sebastian Vettel’s record for being the youngest ever world champion. Vettel was 23 when he won the world championship in 2010. “I think it’s cool to see someone so young doing such an incredible job and more than likely go on and win the championship,” said Norris.
“He’s been impressive since the first race this year. [He’s made] very few mistakes. He’s not driving like it’s his second year in F1, that’s for sure.
“It’s cool to see and there’s going to be many, many more years of us battling and I’m excited for more, hopefully this year.”
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