David Croft issues Kimi Antonelli title warning after Chinese Grand Prix win

Sky Sports Formula 1 commentator David Croft has argued that no one should be putting pressure on Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli for the drivers' championship.

The Italian driver claimed his maiden F1 win at the Chinese Grand Prix, fending off his Mercedes team-mate George Russell and the Ferraris of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.

Since his victory, the 19-year-old has been at the centre of discussions about the 2026 drivers' championship. As it stands, after the first two rounds of the season, Antonelli sits four points behind Russell, who leads the championship. But Croft claimed during the Sky Sports F1 Show that the pressure of the drivers' championship should not be put on the young driver.

"I can't believe you're putting pressure on Kimi Antonelli for the title right now," Croft said to co-host Simon Lazenby.

He continued: "Nobody should be putting him under that sort of pressure. Championships are won over the course of 22 rounds this year. Consistency. He's up against the only driver last year who got to the chequered flag at every single race.

"And George, as Ant [Anthony Davidson] said, he's on the top of his game. But he will keep George very honest throughout this season. He has immense speed. He has brilliant capability. He will make mistakes.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images

"We saw that last year. Not just with Max [Verstappen] when he was that age, but we saw that with Oscar last year against Lando and the difference there, a driver in his seventh season as opposed to a driver in his third season.

"So, you can see what experience does, but I think he's in the right team. He's in a Mercedes team that will nurture him, and he's got the people around him that will nurture him as well.

"And there will be a great clamour for him now to go right out there and beat George week after week after week. And I don't see that happening just yet. If it does, he is better than we actually think. But he's just got to take every race as it comes."