MotoGP riders are 'nuts', says F1 leader Antonelli

MONACO, June 4 : Hurling an F1 car around Monaco's fabled street circuit at speeds in excess of 300kph, centimetres away from a calamitous meeting with an unforgiving metal barrier, takes nerves of ice.

But for championship leader Kimi Antonelli, he would take that risk any day ahead of racing a motorcycle.

The 19-year-old Italian took time out last weekend to watch compatriot Marco Bezzecchi win the MotoGP race at Mugello and said he would never swap four wheels for two.

"I think MotoGP, whoever does that, is nuts," Mercedes driver Antonelli, who will seek a fifth successive victory on Sunday, told reporters on Thursday.

"I couldn't imagine myself doing 370kph on two wheels. I would rather stay on four. More stable, more protected. These guys, I have so much respect for them.

"What they do is unbelievable. If they crash, they are rolling on the ground, in the gravel. They don't know what's going to happen. What is really mind-blowing for me is if they crash then they run back to the garage, they take the second bike and they go even quicker.

"For me, that's crazy. It means you're missing something in the head."

MotoGP is relatively straightforward compared to F1 which this season entered a new era with sweeping rule changes introducing more electric power, active aerodynamics to replace the Drag Reduction System, and smaller and lighter cars.

Even the drivers have admitted that having to harvest electrical power while racing has presented challenges with Red Bull's Max Verstappen threatening to walk away from the sport.

Monaco's relatively slow corners and lack of long straights means Sunday's race will be less impacted by the new regulations, according to Antonelli.

"I mean, it's one of those track where the batteries actually last for the whole straight," he said. "So definitely you don't have to worry about procedures that much.

"So it goes more back to what it was last year which is cool and what you need on a city track. A city track is already a big challenge for the driver and if you can just worry about driving, that's the best."