Kimi Antonelli labelled ‘amazing’ by Nico Rosberg for making one race-changing Canadian Grand Prix decision

Andrea Kimi Antonelli can add his name to the list of drivers who have earned a Formula 1 podium at the Canadian Grand Prix.

Six rookies started the 2025 F1 season and it was always expected that Kimi Antonelli would have the best chance to be the first of that crop to stand on the podium.

Liam Lawson losing his Red Bull seat after two races only increased those odds for the Mercedes driver and he produced a brilliant performance at the Canadian Grand Prix to hold off both McLaren drivers.

Antonelli swept around the outside of Oscar Piastri on the opening lap after a strong launch and kept the drivers’ championship leader at bay for much of the race.

Mercedes know Antonelli needs to work on his tyre management but in Montreal when that was one of the key issues every driver had to face, the Italian didn’t look to be a serious disadvantage to his rivals.

That was until the final laps of the race when both McLaren drivers were suddenly in Antonelli’s mirrors.

Lando Norris ended up colliding with Piastri, but Nico Rosberg praised the ‘intelligence’ of the 18-year-old for playing a small role in their coming together.

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Nico Rosberg praises ‘amazing’ Kimi Antonelli after the Canadian Grand Prix

Rosberg was speaking on Sky Sports F1 (15/6 9:26 pm) after the race and pinpointed exactly what was so impressive about Antonelli’s performance.

He said: “Speaking of potential from the driver, did you see that intelligence just now from Kimi?

“In the heat of the battle, he was having the capacity of looking behind and thinking, which McLaren would be better for him to give a tow now?

“Which McLaren would he prefer to have behind him? Obviously, it was Oscar Piastri at that moment.

“That is pretty amazing, to have that capacity left to try and figure out which McLaren is which and which one to give a tow. That’s pretty awesome!

“George is another thing, this guy is 18 years old!”

Team principal Toto Wolff has said comparisons between Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton are unfair after he stepped into the seven-time world champion’s seat this season.

The 18-year-old needs time to reach his ultimate potential which may be several years away at least given his age.

However, as Rosberg has pointed out, Antonelli is capable of driving in a much more mature manner than many would expect and it’s now up to the Italian to take the next step and challenge for a first F1 victory.

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Mercedes star Kimi Antonelli explains the only error he made during the Canadian Grand Prix

Antonelli once again highlighted his elite mentality when he spoke in his official press conference after the race.

Despite producing the best result of his F1 career, Antonelli explained that he pushed too hard during the final stint, which allowed both McLaren drivers to close in on him.

He said: “That was a very intense and stressful race! I am really happy to take my first podium in F1 though.

“The start was the key to achieving that. I managed to get track position on Piastri and that enabled us to show our pace.

“At moments I was able to catch Verstappen and put him under pressure. In the final stint, I think I pushed a little too hard in the early stages and that made it difficult near the end. I was able to defend from the McLarens though and bring the car home in P3.”

Valtteri Bottas has admitted Antonelli has taken everyone at Mercedes by surprise this year with his performances and a first podium adding to his Sprint Race pole position in Miami is only going to add to that amazement.

Antonelli suffered through a tough triple-header leading into the race in Montreal but will quickly forget those struggles when he looks back at his first F1 trophy.