MONACO. THIS SUNDAY. THE CROWN JEWEL. ๐
Kimi Antonelli leads the championship with 131 points, a MASSIVE 43 ahead of teammate Russell โ but for the FIRST TIME this season, a Mercedes driver is NOT the betting favourite. That honour goes to home hero Charles Leclerc at +175.
Russell was FLYING in Canada โ led the race โ then his engine DIED. Again. If he didn't have bad luck, he'd have no luck at all. Meanwhile Antonelli's FOURTH consecutive win has ramped up pressure on his teammate, with tension between the pair boiling over all weekend in Montreal.
But Monaco could threaten Mercedes' unbeaten run โ Ferrari have been singled out as likely strong, thanks to the emphasis on chassis over power unit on these tight streets. The lack of straights suits Ferrari โ Leclerc AND Hamilton have a genuine shot at ending that Silver Arrows streak. Overtaking is basically IMPOSSIBLE here, so Saturday qualifying is EVERYTHING. Rain is threatening Friday and possibly qualifying too โ chaos incoming. McLaren? Licking their wounds after a MISERABLE Canada with errors, DNFs and zero points. Norris fans, stay quiet.
The Tip Off says: Charles Leclerc ๐