Former GP2 champion Davide Valsecchi has delivered a glowing assessment of Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s Formula 1 start, describing the young Mercedes driver as a once-in-a-generation talent while also arguing that Leonardo Fornaroli deserves a place on the F1 grid.
Davide Valsecchi stunned by Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s Formula 1 start
While Formula 1 drivers enjoyed a short break before returning to Montréal for the fifth round of the 2026 season, we had the opportunity to speak exclusively with Davide Valsecchi.
Widely appreciated by Italian motorsport fans, the former Sky Italia pundit and ex-racing driver touched on several major topics during the conversation, with one of the biggest being Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s remarkable start to life in Formula 1 with Mercedes.
When asked whether he expected the young Italian to be this competitive so quickly, especially considering the enormous pressure surrounding his debut season, Valsecchi gave a striking response:
“I’ll tell you something — I don’t know about the pressure, but I absolutely did not expect Antonelli to be this strong. No question about it, he fully deserves everything he’s achieving.
Last year he showed flashes of talent, but only occasionally, and nothing as dazzling as what we’re seeing now. Sometimes he could fight with George Russell and even edge him, but never like this year, where he has shown blinding talent and incredible speed.
On the second weekend he absolutely crushed George Russell from the first lap to the last. In Miami, there was simply no comparison between them in terms of pace. All weekend long he was consistently three tenths quicker.
So I don’t know whether he’ll handle the pressure or not. But looking at what he’s doing, just let him get on with it. In my opinion, this is beyond a masterpiece. He’s just a kid, and he’s beating someone who for the last two or three years has been considered among the top five drivers in the world.”
“No one should be giving him advice”
When asked what advice he would give Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Davide Valsecchi was immediate in his answer:
“No, no, no. Nobody should be giving him advice, because everyone talking is getting it wrong. Just let him keep doing what he’s doing, because he’s doing it brilliantly.
No one can give him advice except Toto Wolff and maybe his family, because they’ve raised a jewel. Perhaps his father, who has been involved in racing and has clearly taught him all the right things over the years to stay grounded while also knowing how to go fast in a race car. That matters enormously. Nico Rosberg, maybe not a pure natural genius, still became world champion. Max Verstappen combined extraordinary talent with family guidance and became one of the greatest ever. That same formula seems to be working here.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli already looks incredibly mature. The only people who should advise him are Toto Wolff and his father, because what they’ve done so far has been exceptional.”
Ferrari would have been a much tougher environment
Davide Valsecchi also suggested that Andrea Kimi Antonelli may have benefited from landing at Mercedes rather than Ferrari.
“Honestly, it may have been a huge stroke of luck that Mercedes signed him instead of Ferrari. Last year he had seven or eight difficult races, and if that had happened at Ferrari, they would have eaten him alive.
The public works like that too — when you’re doing well, you’re the best in the world, but the moment you make mistakes, the criticism arrives. Joining a foreign team was fortunate for him. Toto Wolff did something brilliant.”
Young drivers adapting faster to the new era
Davide Valsecchi believes the new Formula 1 regulations have shifted the balance in favour of younger drivers, particularly because of changes in driving style demands.
“The driving style required by these new cars is different. If you look closely, many experienced drivers have struggled, while the younger guys have made a huge impact.
I heard Charles Leclerc on the radio saying, ‘I’m braking later, getting back on the throttle earlier, so why am I not faster?’ That tells you something fundamental has changed. Maybe the younger generation has adapted more naturally.”
He also highlighted several standout young names, praising Oliver Bearman’s fight against Esteban Ocon, acknowledging Arvid Lindblad’s raw pace but questioning his completeness, and describing Alex Dunne as “a missile.”
Isack Hadjar, meanwhile, was identified as one of last season’s biggest surprises, though Davide Valsecchi remains uncertain about whether he can sustain that level.
Leonardo Fornaroli deserves a Formula 1 chance
Perhaps Davide Valsecchi’s strongest comments were reserved for Leonardo Fornaroli.
“If you ask me about Formula 2 and Formula 3 right now, I need to see more races. But last year, Arvid Lindblad didn’t win the championship — Leonardo Fornaroli did, and he’s a machine.
He looked like the most mature driver in the group, and in my opinion, he would have made a fantastic impression in Formula 1.
Fornaroli won Formula 3 and Formula 2 back-to-back, just like Gabriel Bortoleto, Charles Leclerc, George Russell, and Oscar Piastri. That’s historic. Honestly, I think he’s been incredibly unlucky. I hope I’m proven wrong and that an opportunity arrives soon, because mentally he also looked the most prepared.
With the new regulations, he might have adapted brilliantly, just as other young drivers have.”
Davide Valsecchi even suggested that Leonardo Fornaroli could have impressed more than some of the newer names already given opportunities, arguing that the Italian deserved serious consideration for the Formula 1 grid.
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