Former Alpine workforce principal Otmar Szafnauer has claimed that championship chief Kimi Antonelli should discover ways to handle a compromised automotive if he needs to safe titles, drawing comparisons to Michael Schumacher’s potential to nurse broken equipment.
The 19-year-old driver endured a bruising British Grand Prix at Silverstone, ending fifteenth. Whereas he seemed in rivalry to battle Charles Leclerc for the victory, he suffered a dislodged wheel defend that hampered his afternoon.
As he fought towards steering points and struggled to maintain the Mercedes equipment on observe, he refused to retire to attempt to rating any factors he may, however the automotive points and a observe limits penalty noticed him stroll away from the grand prix with no factors.
Throughout an episode of the Excessive Efficiency Racing podcast, Szafnauer advised that Antonelli will discover ways to handle a broken automotive like champions, together with Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, as he positive factors extra expertise in Components 1.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Picture by: Andy Hone/ LAT Pictures through Getty Pictures
“That could possibly be all a part of studying the game, it is a part of rising up for him within the sport. May very properly be. However I can let you know, Michael Schumacher was a genius at that, bringing the automotive house and it did not matter. I imply, there are races the place he solely had fifth gear left,” Szafnauer defined.
“And he introduced the automotive house. He was actually, actually good. And there is some drivers which might be good at that and others that I believe must be taught. And I am not saying Kimi is not, however it could possibly be one thing that he is acquired to be taught sooner or later.
“And when you try this, then that is one other string in your bow that it’s worthwhile to win these world championships.”
The tenth spherical of the 2026 season, the Belgian Grand Prix, will happen at Spa-Francorchamps from 17-19 July.
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