Kimi Antonelli has faced a steep learning curve during his rookie Formula 1 season and is starting to build some serious pace.
The best indication of his raw speed came at the Miami Grand Prix, as he secured a first sprint pole for Mercedes.
He sits a respectable seventh in the drivers’ championship, but is patiently waiting for the chance to score a first Formula 1 podium.
Overall, Antonelli’s promotion straight to a front-running team has been solid so far. He still needs to find a little more consistency, but the consensus appears to be that he will get there.
Antonelli does have a concerning driving trait and crashed at the apex of corners recently, including a costly qualifying shunt in Monaco.
Even his team were left frustrated, with Mercedes staff shaking their heads at Antonelli for the extra work he gave them.
READ MORE: George Russell’s brilliant radio messages show exactly what Kimi Antonelli is still lacking at Mercedes
Giancarlo Fisichella wants to see Kimi Antonelli become an F1 champion ‘one day’
Antonelli only signed a one-year deal with Mercedes, meaning that he can be replaced ahead of the 2026 F1 regulations in the event of a disaster.
So far, he’s the future and has done enough to prove that he is where he belongs. Antonelli didn’t follow Toto Wolff’s advice and had a dismal home race in Imola, but he will have learned from it.
Everyone back home is supporting the 18-year-old’s effort, including the country’s last Formula 1 winner, Giancarlo Fisichella, who believes that he will become a champion one day.
“I’m proud, but at the same time I would like another Italian to win, given that almost twenty years have passed,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Andrea Kimi Antonelli has the qualities to achieve this goal soon and also to win the Drivers’ World Championship one day.”
READ MORE: Kimi Antonelli ‘didn’t think twice’ about turning his back on Ferrari after one thing Mercedes did
How Kimi Antonelli’s image has suffered during the 2025 F1 season
Leaping through the junior categories as Antonelli did is no mean feat, and he has adjusted well to life at the sharp end so far.
It’s not like he has made any big mistakes in key moments, he just needs to find a little more raw speed to put some pressure on teammate George Russell.
Antonelli’s ‘flawless’ image suffered in Imola after he suffered from a lack of speed. Ever since, Mercedes have really struggled.
This year isn’t the be all and end all for them. New regulations for next year could flip the entire field on its head.
What’s most important for the Brackley-based team is to see progression and the right attitude from their junior driver, who may be the next in line to win a championship with them.
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