Russell closes the gap to Antonelli ahead of Formula 1 race in Malaysia — TimesLIVE

The Formula 1 round will take place at Malaysia's Sepang circuit this weekend, where Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell will continue their fight for the championship title. According to TimesLIVE, the race was moved from Sakhir because of the war in Iran and tensions in the Middle East and renamed the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

Sepang remains a regular part of the MotoGP calendar, but Formula 1 has not held races here since 2017. At the time, the Malaysian government said it could no longer justify the cost of hosting a round because of declining revenue.

Antonelli holds a 66-point lead

Antonelli arrived in Malaysia with a 66-point advantage over his teammate. Before the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, his lead stood at 81 points. In Baku, the Italian started 16th after a qualifying crash but finished fifth and called the weekend his worst of the season.

The 20-year-old Antonelli has won eight races this year. After his performance in Baku, he said he did not have enough confidence to attack at full strength, but expects a better result in Sepang.

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Russell gained momentum after Baku

Russell won the Azerbaijan round and secured his first Grand Slam: he took pole position, led every lap, set the fastest lap and won. It was his third victory of the season. The Briton became the seventh driver in the current grid to achieve this result.

Russell said the pressure in the title fight is now greater on Antonelli. According to him, he did not consider himself a participant in the championship battle during several previous races because his results were not strong enough, but after the summer break he feels capable of competing for the lead.

Eight rounds remain in the season

Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari is third and trails Antonelli by 103 points, so the title fight has effectively come down to a rivalry between the two Mercedes drivers. Eight races remain in the 23-round season. At the same time, the staging of the final rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi remains in question because of the regional conflict.