Kimi Antonelli is determined to regain his form and protect his drivers’ championship advantage as Formula One heads to the Sepang International Circuit this weekend. The Malaysian venue hosts Sunday’s event in place of the cancelled Bahrain Grand Prix, which was originally scheduled for April but called off due to conflict in the Middle East. Intriguingly, the round will still officially carry the Bahrain Grand Prix title.
The 20-year-old Italian teenager enters the weekend holding a 66-point lead over Mercedes team-mate George Russell. Antonelli suffered a setback last week in Azerbaijan, where a practice hydraulics failure contributed to a qualifying crash. Starting 16th, he fought back to finish fifth, marking the first time in six races that Russell outperformed him. Joking that he was “driving more like my grandma” in Baku, Antonelli stated his intention to “re-establish the order” and return to his standard performance level, even as Russell targets victories across all eight remaining race weekends. According to he’s always been my rival,” he, Of Russell’s bid to overhaul him and snatch the title. All three were taken out of the race.
Antonelli, who hopes to become Italy’s first F1 world champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953, was just 11 years old during Sepang’s last grand prix in 2017. He noted that historical data from that era is “practically irrelevant” now because “everything has changed: tyres, engines and chassis are all completely different for everyone.”
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the 2017 Malaysian race and came close behind winner Russell last Sunday in Baku. Alongside team-mate Isack Hadjar, who secured third place, Red Bull demonstrated formidable top-speed capabilities that could make them serious contenders alongside Ferrari and McLaren as the title battle reaches its final stretch. But Ferrari and McLaren will also be major threats at Sepang in what should be a closely fought contest.
Off the track, Ferrari management affirmed “full confidence” in team principal Fred Vasseur on Tuesday following speculation connecting former Red Bull leader Christian Horner to his role. Vasseur, who voiced annoyance after being questioned about Horner “25 times a day” in Baku, emphasized that Ferrari will keep fighting for every point, stating, “We will bring upgrades and we will continue to push until the last corner.”
Meanwhile, McLaren’s Lando Norris addressed a chaotic collision in Azerbaijan that eliminated himself, Pierre Gasly, and Franco Colapinto. Norris publicly retracted heated post-race comments in which he suggested Alpine’s Colapinto deserved a ban. “I sent Franco a message apologising for the comments I made that I simply should not have said,” Norris admitted. “I know better and emotions were running high, but that is not an excuse, it was wrong of me.”
Drivers now transition from the tight walls of Baku to the sweeping, high-speed layout of Sepang, where unpredictable tropical rain storms often play a decisive role. While half the grid will be experiencing the circuit for the first time, seasoned veterans hold strong track records. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton aims to build on his record of five pole positions and one victory, shared with Michael Schumacher, while Fernando Alonso seeks an unprecedented fourth victory at the venue. A more “normal” race is in prospect, although the usual rain and storms are a factor in Malaysia, after the chaos of the fast streets of Baku.
