Kimi Antonelli signed off on his debut race in Formula 1 with a strong points finish, with team boss Toto Wolff texting him a word of caution later that evening.

18-year-old Kimi  Antonelli has scored points in both Grands Prix he’s raced in so far, including a stellar race on debut to finish fourth after qualifying in 16th place following sustaining floor damage early in the session.

Kimi Antonelli reveals Toto Wolff’s word of caution

Antonelli put in an assured drive in treacherous conditions in Australia, negotiating his way through what were particularly tricky conditions.

With five rookies on the grid at the start, Isack Hadjar crashed out on the formation lap, and Jack Doohan crashed out on the first lap.

By the chequered flag, Liam Lawson and Gabriel Bortoleto had also both crashed out, leaving Antonelli as the sole rookie finisher.

Not only that, but the Italian worked his way up to fourth place and finished just 1.7 seconds behind experienced Mercedes teammate George Russell – although a late Safety Car did bunch the field back up together.

It was a huge statement of a drive from Antonelli, whose only faux pas on the day came midway through the race when, touching the grass on the right-hand side into Turn 4, he spun off into the escape area. Fortunately for Antonelli, there was enough room to avoid hitting anything, and he resumed the track without damage.

It was this moment that earned Antonelli a word of caution after a celebratory end to the day. Surrounded by family and friends, Antonelli revealed to Motorsport‘s Italian subsidiary that he had received a “nice message” from Toto Wolff after they had bid farewell and begun their trek to China.

The text message, Antonelli revealed, had “an ending in capital letters: IN FUTURE, STAY AWAY FROM WHITE LINES AND GRASS”.

With Antonelli nonplussed by the spin, he said, “He must have been more scared than me…”.

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Speaking about his result, the Italian revealed how his confidence had been boosted after a nervy build-up to his first race.

“It was a really good boost of confidence, definitely,” he said.

“I feel so more relaxed now. I’m not gonna lie, for my first weekend, I was a bit stressed.

“I was a bit nervous because everything was new. But definitely, a race like that really helps your confidence and relaxes you as well.

“The conditions were so tricky there; the track was very slippery, especially at the start because the tyres were cold.

“With all those white lines, the grip was very low. Conditions were really tricky, but I’m really happy how the team and I managed – they’ve been really guiding me throughout the whole race in the best way possible.

“So definitely, a good boost of confidence but not too much!”

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