David Croft praises Kimi Antonelli: “Superb performance, clearly faster than George Russell”. Kimi Antonelli’s stunning pace in the Mercedes derby at Suzuka earned praise from Sky UK commentator David Croft.

Italian pride

Kimi Antonelli’s back-to-back victories in China and Japan have placed Italian motorsport in a position it hasn’t often occupied: having its own representative leading the Formula 1 World Championship. Italian fans, as well as more casual viewers, were usually accustomed to hearing the Italian national anthem only for Ferrari successes. That is no longer the case. Given the clear technical superiority of the Mercedes car over its competitors, it is reasonable to believe that Antonelli, maintaining this level of performance, could truly challenge for the World Championship until the very end of the season.

How the British see Antonelli

But the question arises: how is a young talent like Kimi Antonelli viewed across the English Channel, by those British observers who are used to setting the pace in F1, both in terms of teams and drivers, and who probably envisioned an easy path to the championship for George Russell? The answer is positive, judging by the glowing words spoken about Antonelli by the highly respected Sky UK commentator David Croft, who has been covering F1 races for the British satellite channel for many years.

Croft’s analysis and praise for Kimi

In an analysis video shared on Sky’s social media channels, Croft applauded Antonelli’s race craft and pace, noting that he was clearly faster than Russell and that even without the intervention of the Safety Car—which certainly played in his favor—Antonelli would have still been in contention for the top step of the podium.

“In the practice sessions, I had the feeling that Kimi had a one, two, sometimes three-tenths advantage over George,” Croft explained to Sky. “George’s problems were certainly not helped by a setup that gave him a rear end that wasn’t ideal, and this showed in qualifying. I think it also affected the race, but aside from that, Kimi Antonelli—excluding the start—was absolutely superb in the race. He did admit that the start was his own fault. He released the clutch a bit too often, the tires were cold, and the wheels slipped. Coming back from sixth position by the end of the first lap and then winning was absolutely fantastic, with or without the Safety Car. He was the fastest on track at the time of the Safety Car, and I believe he would still have put a lot of pressure on his teammate and also on Oscar Piastri. Once he gained that confidence, it was as if he had an extra gear compared to the others, something that gives you a tenth or two more, and I think that’s exactly what we saw this weekend,” David Croft concluded.

David Croft’s praise for Kimi Antonelli underscores the significant impact the young Italian is having on the global F1 landscape. By outperforming an established race winner like George Russell on one of the calendar’s most technical circuits, Antonelli is proving that he is not just a future prospect, but a current title contender capable of thriving under the most intense scrutiny.