Can Antonelli make it four-in-a-row in Russell territory?

Dubai: The breaks in between races this Formula 1 season – enforced or otherwise – seem to be really getting out of hand.

In almost two months between the Japanese Grand Prix in March-end and the Canadian Grand Prix this weekend, there has only been one race in Miami. While that has allowed teams to bring in upgrades and fine-tune their cars in accordance with the new regulations, for drivers like Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, it has also allowed them to take part in the Nurburgring 24-Hours race last weekend which, according to the Dutch speed merchant, is how racing should be done.

And while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Williams’ Carlos Sainz grabbed eyeballs on the red carpet in Cannes last week, all eyes will again be back on the Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli who will be seeking a sensational fourth consecutive victory at the Canadian Grand Prix.

The 19-year-old rising star of Italian sport leads his British teammate George Russell, nine years his senior and the pre-season favourite for the title, by 20 points after four rounds of the 22-race championship as Mercedes unveil a major upgrade package.

For Russell, it is important to re-establish his authority in the team after two fourth-place finishes allowed his team-mate to revel in being the sole Silver Arrows man, astride the top of the podium.

"I am expecting George, for sure, to be super-strong again in Canada," said Antonelli, whose precocious talent, wide smile and curly hair have become an image of Italian sporting optimism following their football team's failure to qualify for the Fifa World Cup.

"He's always been strong in Montreal and he won last year so I have to be ready and be fully focused. I will do my best."

In addition to his hat-trick of pole, victory and fastest lap last year, Russell took pole at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in 2024 and will fancy his chances of winning both Saturday's sprint race and Sunday's Grand Prix.

Last year, Antonelli was fourth on the grid and finished third, his first podium finish.

This time, he hopes to be the first Italian since Alberto Ascari in 1952 to claim four straight wins, when he reeled off six.

Mercedes' team chief Toto Wolff has side-stepped frenzied talk of Antonelli's prospects to concentrate on keeping things balanced and cool.

"Performance is only performance when it is delivered on track," he stressed.

"We are just four races into the season and there is a long year ahead. It is an important race for us, but it does not decide anything. So, we stay balanced, keep learning and execute as well as we can."

The championship-leading Silver Arrows men are likely to be challenged by Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull.

World champion Lando Norris won the sprint last year ahead of McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri, but the pair collided in the Grand Prix which ended up finishing behind a safety car.

Lewis Hamilton and his Ferrari team-mate Leclerc will also be strong contenders despite team boss Fred Vasseur grumbling about rule changes, notably to the starting procedures that have negated an advantage they enjoyed.

"It was a bit harsh for us," he said of the introduction of a blue light five-second warning to ensure teams spooled up their turbos.

"I understand what they did, for safety grounds, but the other option would have been to ask the others to start from the pit-lane if they think it's not safe."

While the grumbling across the paddock is unlikely to end anytime soon, fans will be glad to hear the rumbling of the engines on the starting grid when the cars line up again for the sprint race this Saturday.