Kimi Antonelli kept a promise made to Motorsport.com: under the chequered flag in Shanghai, he celebrated his first Formula 1 victory with a thumbs-up, just as Jim Clark had done at the end of the 1967 United States Grand Prix, in what became an iconic image.
Melbourne. Kimi Antonelli, clearly hungry, had arranged to meet at an Italian restaurant that has become a reference point for Emilia-Romagna cuisine. At the table next to him was Franco Colapinto, dining with a group of Argentine friends. The conversation naturally turned to motorsport, expectations for a World Championship about to begin, and a car capable of inspiring both hope and ambition. Kimi is not just a talented driver, but someone who has grown up immersed in racing since birth—it is difficult to catch him off guard when discussing motorsport, regardless of the category.
There is no name that surprises him. Then the conversation shifts to podiums, trophies, and celebrations. “If you win one of the first two races, you have to celebrate like Jim Clark,” we suggest. Kimi asks what that means, and soon the famous photograph from the 1967 United States Grand Prix comes up. At Watkins Glen, Clark crossed the finish line showing a thumbs-up to the flamboyant Yankee-style flagman, an image that became historic and immortalized him at the wheel of his Lotus 49.
“Okay,” Kimi Antonelli replies, “I like it. If I win one of the first two races, I’ll do it.” In Australia, he finishes the race in second place, and then the paddock moves on to China, where the promise might seem to fade into the background. For us, perhaps—but not for Kimi.
The final laps of the Shanghai race were anything but calm. The long countdown to the chequered flag was also marked by a lock-up into Turn 14. Then came the final lap, and the moment of crossing the finish line: thumbs-up, promise kept.
“Did you see? You thought I would forget, right?” Kimi is absolutely right. Only he managed to remember, in such a frantic and high-pressure moment, the promise made just days earlier: “I kept my word, and now we can say it… it was a good omen.”
A hug that conveys the joy of someone fully embracing something truly special.
This gesture confirms that while the cars and regulations change—moving from the raw mechanical nature of the 60s to the digital precision of 2026—the character of the drivers remains the heartbeat of the show. Kimi Antonelli has proven he has the speed to win and the personality to become a true icon of the Scuderia or the Silver Arrows for years to come.
Leave a Reply