1997 Formula 1 champion Jacques Villeneuve has warned Kimi Antonelli against buying into his own hype and to keep his cool in his first championship battle. 

The Italian driver, who is in his second season of F1, currently tops the championship with a 43-point lead over his Mercedes team-mate George Russell in second. 

Speaking on the F1 post-race show following the tense Canadian Grand Prix, Villeneuve, who won the drivers’ championship in only his second season in 1997, offered some advice for the 19-year-old. 

“He needs to keep his head cool, not start believing too much in his own hype,” he said. “That’s a very dangerous thing to do. When you think that you’re untouchable, that’s when mistakes happen, and you have a DNF, like [Russell] today, or you have an accident, you lose 25 points, the gap changes a lot, and suddenly you start doubting yourself.

“So that is the big risk. Right now, he’s driving on the edge every lap, and to the point where you think, ‘Wow, he’s keeping it on the track,’ things go well, things go right. It won’t always be like this. So, how will he react when one thing goes wrong? That will be the key thing.

Jacques Villeneuve, former racing driver, walks in the paddock.

Photo by: Kym Illman / Getty Images

“But right now, he is quicker than George. He’s got him covered. What’s important for the team is that George wakes up a little bit and starts believing in himself again.”

When asked if Antonelli will be thinking of the championship, the Canadian added: “Of course. A season is a roller coaster. There’s a period where everything goes well, and suddenly something goes wrong.

“A race or two, you go beyond. That’s the danger. And people think, ‘Oh, you won’t win it anymore.’ And then the other guy starts believing it, and it’s a roller coaster. So, we’ll see how it goes.”

Photos from Canadian GP – Sunday

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– The Motorsport.com Team