Andrea Kimi Antonelli, king among rookies (and beyond): clean driving, overtakes, and brilliance at the Australian Grand Prix. The young Bolognese driver, just 18 years old, shows the character of a future champion. A master of composure, he starts from the back and barely puts a foot wrong, even under the heaviest rain. In the end, fourth place is a small but significant victory for Toto Wolff.
If we were to rate the drivers after Melbourne, at least three would deserve a perfect “ten.” One would go to Lando Norris, finally able to withstand the pressure and win in the downpour. Another would go to Max Verstappen, reminiscent of Alonso in his Ferrari years: lightning-fast, fighting for victory even with an inferior car.
The third, however, rightfully belongs to Andrea Kimi Antonelli. He starts near the back, largely due to factors beyond his control on Saturday. He drives a clean race, gaining confidence with the car on an extremely tricky track. A heart-stopping moment comes after overtaking Nico Hülkenberg when the young Italian touches the grass entering Turn 4, spins out, but keeps his cool.
A comeback race, then magic: Kimi Antonelli’s veteran move on Alexander Albon
He regains control of the car, regroups, and resumes overtaking. The Safety Cars, which continually bunch up the field, certainly help. But unlike four of the other five rookies, he doesn’t make any further mistakes. After the chaos of the final heavy downpour, he even finds himself ahead of both Ferrari SF-25 of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.
This is where he delivers the move that showcases his talent. He could settle for fifth place, but that killer instinct of great champions takes over. He locks onto Alexander Albon, gets into his slipstream between Turn 8 and Turn 9, and in the entry to that fast and complex left-right section, he delays his braking on the outside, pulling off a masterful overtake.
Kimi Antonelli is a win for Toto Wolff
After the preseason skepticism, fueled by his mistake at Monza last season, Toto Wolff can finally celebrate. His gamble has paid off—Andrea Kimi Antonelli is a generational talent. “He started sixteenth, got lucky with a couple of guys crashing out,” the Austrian told Sky Sports. “But he took it the right way.” – he pointed out.
“He caught them one by one, showed his pace when he was in clean air, and in the end, he finished fourth. It’s really impressive. Even the best drivers spun out or crashed today. It was easier to retire than to finish the race, and he kept his composure. It was really impressive to watch, and it shows he has a bright future if he keeps this up.”
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