Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes (P4) 8/10
The teen prodigy shook off Wolff’s “underwhelming” Monza jab, blitzing to P4 in Saturday’s stop-start insanity. Race-day DRS wizardry vaulted him past Lawson, but a podium sniff faded late – with Kimi's learning curve remaining steeper than Baku’s castle climb. Still, clean laps in chaos scream potential. Antonelli’s not just Mercedes’ future – he’s their present with a side of audacity.
Carlos Sainz, Williams (P3) 9/10
Who needs Ferrari fairy dust when Williams serves up provisional pole? Sainz danced through qualifying's red-flag apocalypse to P2, then stonewalled on Sunday Antonelli's fresher rubber assault for a P3 that had the garage erupting like it was the good old days all over again. "VAMOOOOOOOOOS!!!!" blared the radio; indeed, this was Spanish fireworks on Azerbaijani asphalt. Williams' resurgence? F1’s smooth operator just lit the fuse.
