Former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard has described Kimi Antonelli as a "phenomenon" and defended him against critics outlining the "luck" he has experienced.
Antonelli has moved to the brink of the 2026 world championship after winning the Spanish Grand Prix at Madring, a victory some in the paddock are already dismissing as fortunate.
The Mercedes driver took the chequered flag despite cutting two corners in an aggressive early attempt to pass pole-sitter Lando Norris, before inheriting the lead when a Lap 14 virtual safety car, triggered by Lance Stroll's retirement, caught Norris just after he had passed the pit entry.
The McLaren driver was then delayed by a slow seven-second stop and could not recover the position on a Madring layout where overtaking proved almost impossible after the opening lap.
Antonelli himself was reluctant to celebrate fully, saying it was good to win but that it did not feel as good, given that he felt Norris had deserved victory on the day.
The result extended his championship lead to 292 points, 81 clear of team-mate George Russell, with eight wins from the season so far.
Kimi Antonelli handed 'results don't lie' backing in title charge
That gap between reputation and results was picked up by Coulthard, who addressed the "lucky" tag directly on the Up to Speed podcast.
"Well, some people say you make your own luck," Coulthard said. "He has found a sweet spot in his second year of Formula 1 with this particular set of rules and regulations.
"Mercedes are giving him a great car; they are serial winners, and he continues to take risks, but somehow has the spatial awareness not to lose an endplate, not to rip the corner off when he's touched the wall in Turn 7.
"The results don't lie. We can have opinions as to who our favourite drivers are, but in a world driven by data, he's stopping the stopwatch pretty consistently quicker than most, and he's seeing the chequered flag.
"So, yeah, call him lucky. I call him a phenomenon, and unless he gets very unlucky, he is going to be the 2026 Formula 1 world champion."
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes, Sam Coop and Nick Golding as they look back on the Spanish GP! The Madring layout and lack of overtaking is a major talking point, as is Lando Norris' cruel victory loss.
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