Lewis Hamilton vows to chase down leader Kimi Antonelli for rest of the season

Lewis Hamilton has warned Kimi Antonelli that he is ready to “chase him down for the rest of the year” after becoming the Italian teenager’s closest rival for the world championship.

Antonelli, 19 years and nine months, delivered a statement performance to usurp Hamilton as the youngest winner of a Monaco Grand Prix, which ended in dramatic fashion following two safety cars, one red flag for track repairs and six pit-lane speeding penalties.

Hamilton finished runner-up to Antonelli for the second successive race, as George Russell failed to score – also for the second time in as many rounds.

Russell was hit with a late drive-through penalty, after Mercedes bungled his five-second sanction for going too quick in the pits, dropping him from third to 13th.

Antonelli’s lead over Russell has increased from 43 points to 68 with Hamilton two points better off than his former Mercedes team-mate.

And Hamilton said: “I can’t believe I am second in the championship. It is still very early days in the season and we have to keep chasing.

“It is actually easier to chase than it is to defend in life and, while these guys are very quick, we are going to keep pushing, keep chasing and I have no doubt that at some stage we will get that (first win for Ferrari).

“Kimi is doing a phenomenal job. But it just encourages me to level-up and it encourages everyone else to level-up, too. And I am going to do my best to try and chase him down for the rest of the year.”

Kim Kardashian made her paddock debut as Hamilton’s girlfriend.

Her arrival 50 minutes before the start sent the paddock into a frenzy. She posed for pictures outside of Hamilton’s Ferrari garage before heading to the starting grid.

Hamilton then blew a kiss to her as she watched