F1 in Baku on TV: Christian Klien on the World Championship battle: “The stopwatch doesn’t lie”
Has Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) all but secured the title? What ServusTV expert Christian Klien has to say about the championship leader. And where to watch the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku on Saturday (!) on TV.
This article is an automatically generated English version. The
Kimi Antonelli (l.) und sein Mercedes-Kollege George Russell
Foto: XPB
Kimi Antonelli (l.) und sein Mercedes-Kollege George Russell
© XPB
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli has won the last two Grands Prix in a row. He now leads the World Championship standings by 81 points ahead of his team-mate George Russell and by 101 points ahead of Lewis Hamilton. With 14 out of 22 or 23 Grands Prix completed (8 or 9 races remaining, depending on the format of the World Championship finale), much of the season is already over. Mathematically speaking, a lot is still possible – but isn’t the World Championship effectively already decided?
Antonelli flawless and pushing the limit
ServusTV expert and former Formula 1 driver Christian Klien comments: “The stopwatch doesn’t lie. Even on a new circuit like Madrid, Kimi remains error-free and always drives at the limit.” Antonelli pushed himself to the limit in the Spanish Grand Prix, kept things exciting time and again – and ultimately drove successfully from second on the grid to victory. Another 25 points for his already well-stocked World Championship tally.
“His form won’t falter”
Klien, who has competed in 49 Formula 1 Grands Prix himself, asks: “Who’s going to take the title away from him now? We’re already in the second half of the season; he’s 81 points ahead of Russell and 101 ahead of Hamilton. His form won’t falter; Kimi’s also had a fresh engine since Monza. And even if he were to retire three times, it wouldn’t matter.” Three retirements, coupled with his rivals also retiring, would cost him “only” 75 points. So not even that would see his lead dwindle.
The engine penalty mentioned by Klien is also an advantage for the championship leader: Because Mercedes struggled with reliability issues in the first half of the season, both drivers must accept at least one engine penalty, as they have to use components beyond the permitted allocation (for example, if an engine was lost due to engine failure). Antonelli already served the penalty – which was definitely due at some point during the season – at his home race in Monza, where he fought his way from well back in the field to victory. George Russell still has the engine change and the associated grid penalty to come.
Commenting on the race in Madrid, with regard to McLaren’s pole-setter Lando Norris, who lost the victory due to bad luck with the safety car timing, Klien remarked: “Lando Norris would have been unbeatable that weekend. But Kimi’s admission that he ‘inherited’ the victory is a testament to his greatness and character, and shows what he’s made of.” World champion material?
Topic of the week
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TV Program
Incidentally, Klien believes McLaren are once again on a par with Mercedes: “It’s only on high-speed circuits like Monza that they’re still lacking something.” Baku also has plenty of high-speed sections.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix on TV
Thursday, 24 September
08.55: Sky Sport F1 – Greatest Races: Johnny Herbert, Nürburgring 1999
10.00: Sky Sport F1 – Warm-Up, the motorsport special
10.15: Sky Sport F1 – Coverage of the first practice session begins
10.15: ServusTV – Coverage of the first practice session begins
10.30: First practice session
13.45: Sky Sport F1 – Coverage of second free practice begins
1.45 pm: ServusTV – Coverage of second practice session begins
14.00: Second free practice
15.30: Sky Sport F1 – Team principals’ press conference
16.30: Sky Sport F1 – First free practice replay
18.00: Sky Sport F1 – Second practice session replay
20.15: Sky Sport F1 – First practice session replay
21.45: Sky Sport F1 – Second practice session replay
00.00: Sky Sport F1 – 2026 Spanish Grand Prix
Friday, 25 September
07.15: Sky Sport F1 – 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
10.15: Sky Sport F1 – Start of coverage: Third Free Practice
10.15: ServusTV – Third practice coverage begins
10.30: Third free practice
13.30: Sky Sport F1 – Coverage of qualifying begins
1.30 pm: ServusTV – Coverage of qualifying begins
1.30 pm: RTL – Qualifying coverage begins
1.55 pm: SRF zwei – Qualifying coverage begins
14.00: Qualifying
15.00: ServusTV – Qualifying analysis
15.30: Sky Sport F1 – Qualifying press conference
16.45: Sky Sport F1 – Qualifying replay
17.35: SRF zwei – Qualifying replay
20.00: Sky Sport F1 – Qualifying replay
23.00: Sky Sport F1 – Qualifying Replay
Saturday, 26 September
06.00: Sky Sport F1 – Qualifying highlights
07.15: Sky Sport F1 – Qualifying repeat
10.15: Sky Sport F1 – Qualifying highlights
10.30: Sky Sport F1 – Spanish Grand Prix highlights
11.00: ServusTV – Countdown to the race
11.00: Sky Sport F1 – Drivers’ parade
11.30: Sky Sport F1 – Pre-race coverage
12.00: RTL – Pre-race coverage
12.20: SRF zwei – Pre-race coverage
12.55: Sky Sport F1 – Race coverage begins
12.55: ServusTV – Live race coverage begins
12.55: RTL – Race coverage begins
12.55: SRF zwei – Race coverage begins
13.00: Azerbaijan Grand Prix
14.40: ServusTV – Analysis and interviews
15.00: Sky Sport F1 – Analysis and interviews
15.45: Sky Sport F1 – Race press conference
16.30: Sky Sport F1 – Ted’s Notebook
17.45: Sky Sport F1 – Race highlights
19.45: Sky Sport F1 – Qualifying highlights
20.00: Sky Sport F1 – Race Replay
23.40: ORF 1 – Race Replay
11.45 pm: Sky Sport F1 – Race Replay
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