Gerhard Berger is convinced: the Formula 1 World Championship battle will remain exciting right up to the end

The first eleven Formula 1 race weekends of this year’s Formula 1 season are now history, and a glance at the World Championship standings shows just how well Kimi Antonelli has fared in the title fight so far. The teenager from the Mercedes team was not tipped as a favourite for the title before the start of the season; after all, this is only his second season on the Grand Prix circuit.

Instead, the bookmakers were backing an overall victory for his team-mate George Russell, who has been racing in the top flight since 2019 and is therefore in his eighth year on the Grand Prix circuit. However, the Briton has often been dogged by bad luck, which is one of the reasons why he trails his team-mate – who tops the drivers’ standings – by 59 championship points.

Russell isn’t even the fast Italian’s closest challenger; that honour goes to his predecessor at Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton, who has scored 50 points fewer in his Ferrari than the exceptional talent from Bologna. Is the World Championship battle already decided? Our colleagues at the official Formula 1 website put this question to several Grand Prix legends, including Gerhard Berger.

Gerhard Berger wouldn’t bet on the outcome of the World Championship

And the Tyrolean says: “This is Formula 1, and when you’re driving for a top team, you’re always up against a team-mate who’s rapidly rising through the ranks. I’m sure that even Lewis Hamilton sometimes wishes he had a different team-mate to Charles Leclerc when it comes to speed. George has had a wake-up call from Antonelli, and Antonelli certainly seems to be quite a special driver. He really puts his foot down, and I can tell he’s right on the limit.”

He wouldn’t bet on either of the two title contenders, reveals the 66-year-old Grand Prix veteran, who made 210 Formula 1 starts and claimed ten Grand Prix victories during his career. “One is the young wild card who takes risks; the other has far more experience and will therefore play it safe. Last year, everything initially pointed to Oscar Piastri beating Lando Norris, but Norris managed to turn the tables and clinch the title. In Formula 1, anything can happen, and it will stay that way right up to the end,” Berger is certain.

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