Is World Championship leader Kimi Antonelli unstoppable? Here’s what Christian Klien has to say

Kimi Antonelli’s lead in the World Championship over his Mercedes team-mate George Russell and his predecessor Lewis Hamilton has recently shrunk. The British driver from within the team is 25 points behind the young Italian, whilst the seven-time world champion, who has been chasing points for the Ferrari team since last year, is 32 championship points adrift.

The pair finished second (Russell) and third (Hamilton) in the most recent race at Silverstone, behind winner Charles Leclerc. Antonelli himself fell victim to technical issues and finished fifteenth, scoring no points. ServusTV expert Christian Klien had this to say about the Ferrari star’s first victory since the 2024 US Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas: “I never wrote Charles off. Despite a slump, the pace was always there. And after changing the brake pads, he’s regained his confidence in the car.”

For the former F1 driver, however, one thing is certain: the clear favourite to win in Belgium is Antonelli: “He clearly had George under control again at Silverstone, which gives him confidence for the rest of the season. Of course, he could have managed the mechanical issue better, but I can’t recall him making a genuine mistake this year. If things don’t go to plan, it’s actually always down to the car.”

The fact that Antonelli had a race weekend to forget on the Ardennes rollercoaster last year doesn’t carry much weight, the Austrian is certain: “Kimi has developed tremendously since then and gets on brilliantly with this generation of cars. At Silverstone, he was absolutely flying. If the car holds up, victory can only come through him.”

Alongside the racing action, ServusTV is focusing just as much on championship leader Kimi Antonelli as on Scuderia Ferrari, which may well have its first title chance since Kimi Räikkönen’s world championship triumph 19 years ago. The programme will also address the increasingly persistent rumours of a move for Max Verstappen. And Formula 2 leader Nikola Tsolov, who is tipped as the frontrunner for a seat in the top flight, will give an exclusive interview. Andrea Schlager and Christian Klien report live from the pit lane at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, whilst Andreas Gröbl and Mathias Lauda provide commentary from Belgium.

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