Kimi Antonelli enjoyed the best weekend of his Formula 1 career so far by earning his first podium at the Canadian Grand Prix.
It was part of a welcome double podium for Mercedes, who recently had a miserable European triple header and scored fewer points than Visa Cash App Racing Bulls.
Antonelli showed great pace all weekend and managed to deliver when it mattered most to produce a rostrum just days before his final school exams in Italy.
He’s had plenty on his plate, but still sits seventh in the drivers’ championship and has managed to help his team to second in the constructors’ standings too. Not too shabby for a Formula 1 rookie.
Fans said the same thing about Antonelli and believe that he is a champion in waiting after his first trophy in Montreal.
He wasn’t all for himself, though. Antonelli played a ‘genuinely’ crucial role for Mercedes in helping his teammate George Russell win on Sunday – the team’s first of 2025.
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Simone Resta believes Kimi Antonelli took a ‘key step’ in his F1 development at Canada
Antonelli made an ‘amazing’ decision in Canada and even managed to impress 2016 champion Nico Rosberg with his antics.
It’s a nice breath of fresh air after Mercedes admitted Antonelli lost enthusiasm during the tough triple header. Two mechanical failures and a frustrating Monaco race didn’t help his cause.
Speaking in Mercedes’ Akkodis Race Debrief, Simone Resta shared how the young Italian driver made a ‘key step’ in his development.
“He was able, as I said, to start very well and then defend himself in the first two corners from Piastri and actually gain position,” he said. “And I think this was a key step for his development.
“Then, later in the race, he was able to fight for the first two stints with Max, always trying to overtake him and Max was always defending and being able to stop before being overtaken.
“And yes, at the end of the race he [was] defending very well on Piastri, so a very exciting performance, just a sign of his potential. And you know, it’s going to be fun.”
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Why Kimi Antonelli is at high risk of Mercedes penalty in 2025
The rotten run of three consecutive races without one point came at a time when Antonelli would have had hopes to do far better.
The first event on that run – his home event at Imola, was a disaster from start to finish, and he lacked pace all weekend.
The last of the three races in Spain had him running comfortably in the points until a late engine failure sent him into the gravel.
Unfortunately, that engine is destroyed beyond repair and cannot be recovered. Antonelli faces a high risk of a grid penalty, having already lost one of his units for the season.
But somewhere along the line, it shouldn’t be too painful to take the grid drop at a high-speed circuit where overtaking is possible. His fans will be hoping it doesn’t end up being his home race at Monza.
