Formula One championship leader Kimi Antonelli has expressed his intent to bounce back and maintain his presence at the top as we gear up for the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend.
Sepang will host Sunday’s race in place of Bahrain, which was supposed to stage the grand prix in April but was cancelled because of war in the Middle East.
Antonelli, who finished fifth last weekend in Azerbaijan, leads Mercedes team-mate George Russell by 66 points following the Briton’s commanding triumph in Baku.
Antonelli said he intends to “re-establish the order” at Sepang International Circuit, which last hosted Formula One in 2017.
“He’s always been my rival. But I’ll make sure I re-establish the order and just make sure that I am back to my usual level,” the 20-year-old said of his teammate George Russell.
Antonelli, seeking to be Italy’s first champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953, was only 11 the last time Formula One was at Sepang.
That race was won by Red Bull’s four-time world champion Max Verstappen, who finished a close second behind Russell last Sunday and proved that he has the speed to become a threat to the Mercedes pair as the campaign approaches a climax.
He and team-mate Isack Hadjar, who was third, demonstrated Red Bull’s power and straight-line speed in Baku.
But Ferrari and McLaren will also be major threats at Sepang in what should be a closely fought contest.
Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton will seek to add to his shared record (with Michael Schumacher) of five poles and one win.
Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso will be hunting a record-equaling fourth Sepang victory, after quasheing retirement talk after confirming he will stay with Aston Martin for the 2027 Formula One season.
Alonso had been considering ending his illustrious racing career, but his passion for driving convinced him to remain at the British-based team for at least one more year.
The 45-year-old Spaniard, who won successive world titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006, will drive alongside Aston Martin team-mate Lance Stroll for a fifth consecutive season.
