SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium, July 15 (Reuters) - Kimi Antonelli needs a win in Belgium this weekend to pump up his Formula One championship lead after two blanks in the last three races, but Ferrari could stand in his way.
The 19-year-old Mercedes driver also failed to score a point at Spa-Francorchamps last year, although he did set the fastest lap of the race, but should be far more competitive this time — providing his car holds up.
Antonelli has seen his advantage shrink from 66 points over Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton after Monaco in June to 25 points over teammate George Russell, who has had his own share of bad luck, due to mechanical problems.
At the same time, seven times world champion Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc have celebrated wins for a resurgent and increasingly competitive Ferrari, now looking for a third win in four races.
HAMILTON CAN EQUAL SCHUMACHER'S RECORD
Both are also previous winners at Spa, with Hamilton chasing a sixth Belgian triumph to equal the record held by former Ferrari great Michael Schumacher.
Throw in the threat of Red Bull's four times champion Max Verstappen at a favourite and almost home track, as well asMcLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Mercedes have plenty on their plate.
"The last few races have underlined both where our strengths are and where we need to improve," said Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff.
"Reliability issues have cost us points and in a championship this competitive, that is something we cannot afford. There is no value in having the pace if we don't bring home the result.
"We have left too much on the table recently. We need to make sure that doesn't happen again, starting this weekend."
Like Silverstone, Spa will involve more energy management than drivers would like but fans should still see exciting racing and overtaking opportunities at a popular circuit with even longer straights than Britain.
"I think it could be trickier with the energy management limitations on the straights but we have historically done well here so you never know what will happen," said Verstappen.
'ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING RACES'
Spa is also one of the most fickle tracks, as well as one of the fastest, with the Ardennes forests having a micro-climate that defies long-range forecasts.
Current predictions are cloudy and cool, with some sunshine, but showers can never be ruled out. Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur said it could be "a particularly demanding weekend".
"It is one of the most challenging races of the year because of the characteristics of the track and the way the weather can change from one moment to the next in the Ardennes," he added.
Piastri won last year, after Norris took pole, and the champions will be testing and assessing a new rear wing in Friday practice.
"We're confident that this update will add a bit of performance to our car," said Neil Houldey,technical director for applied engineering.
"But we are fully aware that after a difficult British Grand Prix, mainly in terms of pure performance, even this round won’t be that easy, so we won’t be expecting any big change in terms of competitiveness."
McLaren will also have the latest specification Mercedes engine that the works team had in Austria and Williams and Alpine at Silverstone.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin;Editing by Alison Williams)
