Herbert looks to Alonso, Senna, and Schumacher for the lesson that Antonelli still has to learn
The British ex-driver believes that the new world champion has the talent to make a mark, but adds a condition: to prove that he can also dominate when Mercedes does not have the most competitive car.
Johnny Herbert believes that Kimi Antonelli has the potential to become one of the great champions of Formula 1, but he thinks he still needs to demonstrate a quality that distinguishes the most special drivers. The British ex-driver wonders if the Italian will be able to make a difference when he does not have the best car on the grid, as Fernando Alonso, Ayrton Senna, and Michael Schumacher have done.
The talent of Kimi Antonelli is not in question for Herbert. His youth, speed, and ability to compete at the highest level allow him to have a much broader horizon than his main rivals. The British driver believes that the Italian has a considerable advantage when it comes to building his résumé.
«At 20 years old, he could reach 30, and he still has another 10 years ahead. He has much more time than everyone else. Vettel was 23 when he won. So, in any case, he has a three-year advantage. He has a four-year advantage over Max [Verstappen], and Max has already won his four titles. He has enormous, enormous potential», he assures in statements to BetBrothers.
However, Herbert introduces a variable that he considers fundamental for assessing the true dimension of a driver. It is not enough to take advantage of the opportunities offered by a winning car. One must also know how to make the most of a less competitive machine and compensate for its limitations with talent behind the wheel.
«There's always a 'but'. You always have to have the right car at the right time. Will he be able to get the maximum out of a car that might not be up to par, as we've seen with Alonso, Senna, and Schumacher?», Herbert asks?
Alonso, Senna, and Schumacher have shown at different stages of their careers that they could compete beyond their cars' capabilities. It is precisely that ability that Herbert raises as the big unknown that Antonelli will have to resolve as his career progresses.
Antonelli leads the generational change in Formula 1
Herbert also believes that Antonelli's arrival is part of a generational renewal process that periodically recurs in Formula 1. The Brit recalls how, in the early 90s, several drivers who would later play a leading role in the championship coincided on the grid.
«There has always been a change, a wave of drivers every few years. When I arrived, Jean Alesi came; Michael Schumacher arrived a bit later. Damon Hill also arrived. Mika Häkkinen arrived. So, in the early 90s, there was a whole avalanche of talent, and some of those names went on to win world championships, for example. Jacques Villeneuve was another of them», the Brit recalls.
In his opinion, Formula 1 is currently experiencing a similar transition, with drivers who have been joining the category and others who have already begun to establish themselves among the main protagonists.
«There are always those small periods of five, six, or seven years where it seems that this new generation arrives, the changeover. And we are undoubtedly in that kind of changeover, he points out.
«We are seeing it, in a way, with Lando [Norris] and George [Russell], who are still relatively young, but we are already seeing them. We see the Bortoletos coming into the sport. We see the Bearmans coming into the sport. Arvid Lindblad is coming up right now. Colapinto, too. And then there's Kimi, who has just shown that he is the number one, he adds.
Herbert doesn't downplay the merits of the Mercedes, which he considers possibly the best car, but he reminds us that having a good car does not automatically guarantee outstanding performance. One must also know how to take advantage of it.
«He has literally left everyone speechless. Yes, he probably has the best car, but there you have to be able to drive that best car, and he has been able to do it. All this is fantastic for a Mercedes driver, but maybe not for the other: George Russell».
Russell needs to improve his race pace
The emergence of Antonelli has also put George Russell in a complicated situation within Mercedes. Herbert believes that the Brit has had bad luck at different times, but he thinks he must also analyze his own weaknesses if he wants to regain ground against his teammate.
«Russell has just taken it as a bad experience and focused on the next year. He has shown that he has natural speed. And he has had bad luck. Things haven't gone entirely his way. We even saw it in Mexico, going into the first corner. He was losing power. The car wasn't generating the power it should have generated. Three or four drivers passed him», he exemplifies.
Still, Herbert believes that the difference between them is also related to the confidence and dynamic generated when a driver strings together good results. In his opinion, Antonelli has managed to leverage that positive momentum to gain psychological and sporting ground.
«Sometimes you have to earn your luck. Sometimes it works out. But if you come out strong, reach the first races, and perform very, very well, you feel better. Your chest swells, so to speak. You feel proud of what you're doing, and then a sort of domino effect occurs. And I think that's what we saw with Kimi».
This dynamic has also increased the pressure on Russell, who has not always found a response when Antonelli has managed to recover from a complicated weekend.
«Then the pressure starts to fall on the other side of the garage, which was George. He was unlucky, but there were also moments when the performance was not up to par. Even when Kimi struggled in qualifying, he recovered strongly in the race itself».
Herbert identifies precisely race pace as one of the aspects that Russell must improve. He believes that his one-lap speed is beyond question, but it is not enough to fight for wins and championships if he cannot also translate it to Sundays.
«He has the pace in a single lap, but his race pace is very, very, very solid. And that's undoubtedly what George has to work on, because that's the only way to win races and the World Championship. You can be the fastest in qualifying and get pole position in every single Grand Prix. But if you don't know how to race, you'll never make it, concludes Johnny Herbert.
* This news is an AI translation of the original content. Motenic.com is part of Motor.es.