Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli utilised the first break in the 2025 Formula 1 campaign to go go-karting with Valentino Rossi ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix.
Seven-time MotoGP champion Rossi has taken Antonelli under his wing as Italy’s next great motorsport hope. Italy has a flurry of riders to support on two wheels but far fewer on four with the Mercedes ace the first Italian to race in Formula 1 since Antonio Giovinazzi in 2021.
Italy even has to go all the way back to the 2006 Malaysian Grand Prix for the last time that one of their own won an F1 race, with Giancarlo Fisichella handing Renault glory in Sepang. Fisichella is also Italy’s last F1 pole sitter at the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix while at Force India.
Valentino Rossi tells Kimi Antonelli to focus on what the Mercedes F1 rookie can control
Antonelli now adopts the mantle and has enjoyed a strong start to his career in the pinnacle of motorsport. The 18-year-old is the third-youngest driver to start an F1 Grand Prix yet and Antonelli’s P4 in the Australian Grand Prix made him the second-youngest points-scorer, too.
The Bologna boy overcame his poor grid position after sustaining damage in qualifying to fly in Melbourne’s wet conditions. He also took P6 in Shanghai and Mercedes believe Antonelli should have fought Max Verstappen in the Chinese GP without his floor damage from Lap 1.
| POS | DRIVER | AGE | TEAM | RACE (RESULT) |
| 1 | Max Verstappen | 17 years, 180 days | Toro Rosso | 2015 Malaysian GP (P7) |
| 2 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli | 18 years, 208 days | Mercedes | 2025 Australian GP (P4) |
| 3 | Lance Stroll | 18 years, 225 days | Williams | 2017 Canadian GP (P9) |
| 4 | Oliver Bearman | 18 years 306 days | Ferrari | 2024 Saudi Arabian GP (P7) |
| 5 | Lando Norris | 19 years, 138 days | McLaren | 2019 Bahrain GP (P6) |
A new challenge now awaits this weekend at the Japanese Grand Prix, too, as Antonelli has never raced at Suzuka, a circuit he calls ‘scary’, before. But he can draw on words of wisdom from Rossi, who told Antonelli to ‘above all’ focus on what the Mercedes rookie can control.
“That was really cool,” Antonelli noted in the Thursday press conference at the Japanese GP. “Valentino is such a cool guy. We laughed a lot. He told me a few stories from back when he was racing in MotoGP – some funny ones, too, but I can’t really tell them right now…
“He told me to just keep going, enjoy it and, above all, focus on myself without being distracted by others, enjoy the process and always give it my all.”
Valentino Rossi can be Kimi Antonelli’s secret weapon to improve as an F1 driver
Having Rossi in his corner might prove hugely beneficial for Antonelli, with the Bologna boy under immediate pressure to secure not only his future on the Formula 1 grid but also with Mercedes. The Silver Arrows only gifted the teen a one-year deal to replace Lewis Hamilton.
READ MORE: Know all about 2025 Mercedes F1 driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli including stats
Rossi is arguably the greatest ever motorcycle racer and can offer Antonelli words of wisdom from 22 seasons in the premier class, which returned titles in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2009 plus 89 Grand Prix wins racing for the giants of Honda, Yamaha and Ducati.
The 46-year-old has also turned his skill to racing on four wheels since retiring from MotoGP in 2021 – including debuting at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2024. So, Rossi could help the F1 rookie, with Antonelli keen to improve his tyre management after watching George Russell.
He also has some experience with the world of Formula 1, including Rossi driving Hamilton’s title-winning 2017 Mercedes in 2019. Additionally, he drove Michael Schumacher’s F2004 in 2006 when Ferrari tested Rossi in their F1 car in view of him making a switch from MotoGP.
