Formula One prodigy Kimi Antonelli hungry for more podiums after maiden top-three finish

Daily Maverick

a day ago

After recently graduating from high school in Italy, Andrea Kimi Antonelli is looking forward to focusing fully on his racing.
Italian teenager Andrea Kimi Antonelli came into the 2025 Formula One season touted by many observers as being the most exciting rookie. A steady start, which he juggled with his schooling responsibilities, sees him occupying seventh spot on the drivers' standings.
At the Canadian Grand Prix Antonelli (18) claimed third spot to earn his first podium placing since making the big leap onto the senior circuit. The Mercedes driver is surfing a wave of expectation with the same precision that he handles the steering wheel.
Strong start
Antonelli announced himself to the world with aplomb during the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in March, finishing fourth behind rivals Lando Norris (McLaren) and Red Bull's Max Verstappen. Antonelli's teammate George Russell rounded off the podium, but the Italian teenager caught the eye for a self-assured drive amid wet and gloomy conditions.
From the 10 races of the season to date, Antonelli has six top-10 finishes — including that maiden podium placing in Australia. However, it has not been all plain sailing for the highly regarded youngster. He also has two retirements to his name — including during his home race, the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.
Having invited his fellow matrics to watch him on the race track for the May contest, Antonelli was forced to retire after lap 46 of the 63-lap race. He was in 10th spot at the time, before a throttle issue crippled his car.
Antonelli hinted that he may have been caught up in the excitement of the occasion, vowing to take the disappointment of that race in his stride and use it as fuel for future success.
'Definitely this weekend was good learning. On my side, I didn't manage everything well. I didn't take enough time for myself on most occasions. That hurt me for this weekend,' reflected Antonelli in May.
'I was wasting energy. It affected the performance in the car. On that side, it was a really good lesson,' the teenager stated.
High school graduate
It may have been a harsh lesson, but it seems to have steered Antonelli in the right direction. On the back of his maiden podium appearance, Antonelli has graduated from high school. During that ill-fated home Grand Prix, Antonelli shared how difficult it was juggling being an elite racer and preparing for his final exams as a high school student.
'Well, I'm not able to attend school, but I'm trying to study as much as I can. Especially in those little moments I have free time,' the Mercedes prodigy said. 'I'm getting help from the school as well to try to catch up because I've definitely missed a lot of work during this time.'
Antonelli has now completed secondary school after passing his exams. This will allow him to focus fully on racing. After tasting being on the podium for the first time, the 18-year-old will be hungry to make a few more returns to it. Winning a race or two would be a welcome bonus.
'I'm super happy to have finished this journey, which was important to finish. Now I can just focus on racing, and it's a big relief as well,' Antonelli said.
The rookie said such was the pressure of writing his exams that he did not even have a moment to wrap his head around his milestone in Canada. However, with the weight of his studies off his shoulders Antonelli is beginning to grasp what his Canadian Grand Prix display can lead to.
'It was such a special moment. I remember going on the podium, I had goosebumps, especially after hearing people chanting my name. It was a really special moment,' said Antonelli.
'Also to see the whole team in the pit lane, my dad as well, that is a memory that I will remember forever. It took me quite long because when something such as this happens, it's something so big that it takes a little bit for the brain to realise,' the Italian driver added.
'[It] was a really good result, big relief on my side, and this has to be a turning point because obviously now I showed to myself that I can do it. Now, because the feeling is so good, you just want more,' Antonelli stated.
Great expectations
Antonelli was one of a handful of rookies who made the big leap into Formula One this season. Others include Oliver Bearman (Haas), Gabriel Bortoleto (Kick Sauber), Jack Doohan (Alpine), plus Racing Bulls pair Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson.
While the majority of his counterparts have struggled for traction in their debut seasons, Antonelli has expertly handled the pressure of expectation. Mercedes could have opted for an experienced driver to step into the massive void left by seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. Instead, they trusted academy prospect Antonelli with the hotseat alongside Russell.
Antonelli joined the Mercedes academy in 2019 after a successful career in the karting scene. His team has been honing him for this moment ever since. Mercedes even fast-tracked his rise up the ranks as they parachuted him straight into Formula Two in 2024.
Having enjoyed success in Formula Regional, the next step for the Italian teenager would have been rising up to Formula Three. He skipped this step as Mercedes prepared him for the main event. Even as he finished sixth on the standings that season, his team felt he was ready to compete in Formula One this year.
So far, Antonelli has vindicated this faith and the Mercedes hierarchy is backing the Italian to be a major force in years to come. Initially signed on a one-year contract, Antonelli's positive start has already triggered conversations of a long-term partnership.
'Antonelli will probably need a three-year programme. That's how long a young driver needs to challenge a more experienced and faster teammate. But we would never have entrusted the seat to a driver who we don't consider a potential world champion,' Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said on the Bloomberg Podcast.
The team's dreams for Antonelli are major. However, early in his career the youngster has shown great ability when it comes to handling pressure. If he can maintain his upwards trajectory, he can join racers such as Michael Schumacher, Hamilton and Verstappen in living up to a promising debut season.
On the flip side of the coin, he could end up like Nico Hulkenberg or Pastor Maldonado — two young prospects who never quite lived up to the expectations that were placed on their shoulders. DM