Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli celebrates three wins in the first four races of the new Formula 1 season—the 19-year-old admits he “didn’t expect this”
Mercedes youngster Kimi Antonelli is currently the talk of Formula 1: The 19-year-old Italian has made an almost perfect start to the new season with three wins in the first four races. He already leads the Drivers’ Championship by 20 points over his teammate George Russell.
“No, I didn’t expect this,” Antonelli admits after securing his third pole position and third consecutive career victory. A streak that places him in the same league as legends like Mika Häkkinen, Ayrton Senna, and Michael Schumacher. And the 19-year-old has even surpassed them by now.
“We’re in a great phase right now,” says the championship leader, assessing his current form, though he remains deliberately cautious about his title chances in the premier class this year. “As I’ve said before, it’s still a very long season, and so much can change.”
Antonelli wants to “get the most out of it every time”
“George Russell will definitely be super strong in Canada; he’s always been very strong there, so he’ll surely be up there at the front again,” says Antonelli, referring to his current biggest rival—ironically from his own team—who was himself considered a hot World Championship contender before the season began.
But the strong start to the season has clearly had an effect on the Italian. “I feel much more comfortable in the car and have much better control of it,” explains the 19-year-old. “And I think we’ll just keep doing our best. I’ll try to get the most out of it every time I go out on the track.”
“Let’s see how it goes in Canada. Hopefully we can repeat our performance from last weekend, but we’ll also see how the upgrades play out,” says Antonelli, concluding with a clear endorsement of the team: “I’m really proud of the team and its performance, and I’m really enjoying the journey together.”
