06/07/26 01:38:00
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06/07 01:33 CDT Kimi Antonelli aims for 5th win in a row at Monaco Grand Prix
to extend his F1 lead
Kimi Antonelli aims for 5th win in a row at Monaco Grand Prix to extend his F1
lead
MONACO (AP) --- Kimi Antonelli is aiming to continue a remarkable rise to the
top of Formula 1 as he starts on pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix on
Sunday with a chance to further stretch his standings lead.
Monaco is the glamorous traditional high point of the F1 season and the
19-year-old Mercedes driver could join some of the sport's greatest names as a
winner.
It's almost impossible to overtake on the narrow, twisty street circuit, so his
pole position is especially valuable. He starts ahead of two of the most
successful F1 drivers ever, with Max Verstappen second for Red Bull and Lewis
Hamilton third for Ferrari.
"I just need to get a clean start, don't try to do the magic start," Antonelli
said Saturday. Hamilton said that to have a shot at winning, he might need
rain, which is unlikely to affect the race.
After a winless rookie season, Antonelli took his first F1 victory at the
Chinese Grand Prix in March and has followed up with wins in Japan, Miami and
Canada to lead teammate George Russell by 43 points. He would be the youngest
champion in F1 history.
Mercedes has won all five Grand Prix races so far this year and is aiming for a
sixth. Russell hasn't won since the opening race in Australia and starts sixth
for Sunday's race after admitting he was "bamboozled" by how the Mercedes car
better suited Antonelli's driving style.
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