Daily News 19

Tag: Naomi Schiff

  • Kimi Antonelli Labelled “generational talent” After Italian GP Home Win

    Kimi Antonelli Labelled “generational talent” After Italian GP Home Win

    Sky Sports Formula 1 pundit Naomi Schiff declared Kimi Antonelli a generational talent after the Mercedes driver produced a stunning comeback victory at the Italian Grand Prix. The 20-year-old Italian started 19th on the grid at Monza but sliced through the field, leveraging a mid-race virtual safety car to fit fresh medium tyres before hunting down and passing his race-leading teammate George Russell to win in front of the passionate Tifosi.

    Schiff: Antonelli Proved ‘Generational Talent’ Status at Monza

    Analyzing the drive for Sky Sports, Schiff emphasized the magnitude of the performance on home soil.

    “Today, everybody is so impressed by what Kimi Antonelli has done. And obviously, to have a home hero like him who clearly proved today the generational talent that he is,”

    Schiff highlighted the composure Antonelli showed after his pit stop to close the gap to Russell and secure the win.

    “I mean, not only did he climb through the field, but then after that pitstop, he had to close up that gap again, and he just did it. And he took the victory here at home. Incredible.”

    The Decisive Moment: Hunting Down Russell

    Schiff detailed the critical phase of the race where Antonelli caught Russell, who was managing older hard tyres while also battling Max Verstappen early on.

    “It took him about six or seven laps before he was behind George. Obviously, George and Max were going at it as well in the beginning. And then I just had a feeling in my heart like, ‘Oh gosh, if George looks in the mirrors now and realises his team-mate is already behind him, oh my God, I would have sunk a little bit in that moment.’”

    Record-Breaking Start to Second Season

    The Monza triumph marks Antonelli’s seventh career Grand Prix victory in only his second season. He became the youngest driver to lead the championship standings after securing back-to-back wins at the Chinese Grand Prix and Japanese Grand Prix. He added four more victories before the summer break, establishing a commanding 66-point lead over teammate Russell in the Drivers’ Championship.

    Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes. Photo by: Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images
  • Naomi Schiff Points to Red Bull Advantage Following Dutch GP Driver Change

    Naomi Schiff Points to Red Bull Advantage Following Dutch GP Driver Change

    Red Bull’s driver swap for the Dutch Grand Prix has reignited discussion about the advantages of Formula 1 teams operating under shared ownership.

    After Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar suffered a wrist fracture before the race weekend at Zandvoort, the Milton Keynes-based team promoted Liam Lawson from sister outfit Racing Bulls. Lawson joined Max Verstappen for the Dutch Grand Prix.

    Racing Bulls then promoted reserve driver Yuki Tsunoda to partner rookie Arvid Lindblad, filling the vacancy created by Lawson’s move.

    Red Bull benefits from shared driver pool

    Former W Series driver and Sky Sports analyst Naomi Schiff said Red Bull benefited from promoting a driver already familiar with the 2026-specification cars, rather than relying on a reserve driver with less experience in the machinery.

    “It seems to be a little bit of an advantage to be able to put someone in who’s already currently driving these cars and I guess Ferrari is the only other team that would probably call on Oliver Bearman,” Schiff explained during an episode of the Up To Speed podcast after co-host and former F1 driver David Coulthard claimed there is a “strength and depth” in Red Bull in that it can pull in drivers from its sister team.

    “Whereas Mercedes have Fred Vesti, who travels with them to most of the races, so it would most likely be him. I do think it works out to be an advantage for Liam, but I think that doesn’t take away from the fact that that was probably a daunting environment for him to step back into, although it does look very different than what it was, what he left behind.”

    Lawson finished the Dutch Grand Prix in seventh place, scoring six points for Red Bull. The team has not yet confirmed whether Hadjar will return for the Italian Grand Prix.