Also Verstappen praised the Bolognese driver who reached the podium for the first time after just 10 Grands Prix, but it was the Montreal crowd that truly recognized the value of Toto Wolff’s protégé, spontaneously paying tribute to his performance.
Just over three months have passed between his Formula 1 debut and his first podium finish. This has been the most intense period of Kimi Antonelli’s young career, enough to get a first taste of what it means to compete for a top team. There was excitement after his impressive debut in Melbourne, his first climb to the front at the Miami weekend, followed by criticism as the European season began. Three race weekends outside the points (two due to technical problems) were enough for Antonelli’s name to be preceded by ‘if’ or ‘but’.
Young drivers today have all the tools they need to grow, but in exchange for the sophisticated technology that lets them practice virtually what is forbidden in reality, they have had to give up the most precious element of maturation: time.
Two good Grands Prix make a hero, but it’s a part-time bonus, because just as many weaker weekends can turn you into a disappointment. The comparison with his teammate (George Russell in Antonelli’s case) is inevitable, and then comes the judgment. Despite being only eighteen, Kimi has broad shoulders and a team that believes in him. He was the first to admit that not everything went well between Imola and Barcelona, then he headed to Montreal.
The Gilles Villeneuve circuit was new to all rookies, but Mercedes seemed to find a more suitable environment there, with braking and acceleration zones. Antonelli chose a gradual approach, aware that any mistake in Montreal comes at a high price, but he managed to put everything together when it counted, in Q3 on Saturday afternoon. Having laid the foundation for a race at the front, Kimi started to build the race that brought him his first Formula 1 podium at the start, overtaking Oscar Piastri.
“That was the key moment,” Kimi explained. “Once I got behind Verstappen, I gradually closed in and even put him under pressure, both at the end of the first and second stints.”
The hardest moment for Antonelli was the last fifteen laps of the race. After the last pit stop, he pushed hard in the early laps, both to try to stay close to Max Verstappen and to hold off Oscar Piastri behind him.
“Now I can say it,” he admitted, “I hoped the race would end as quickly as possible! With every lap I counted down in my head; the last laps were tough, especially seeing Oscar getting closer and closer until he reached DRS range.” Norris came to Antonelli’s aid with his crash involving Piastri three laps from the end, which triggered the safety car and indirectly ended the race.
Kimi enjoyed his first victory lap toward the podium, savoring every moment. “It was all very beautiful; this result came at an important time since the previous triple-header was not easy. This was the best way to recover.” Somewhat surprisingly, Antonelli became the crowd favorite in Montreal, winning the applause meter hands down throughout the podium ceremony. “It was much better than I imagined,” he admitted. “Hearing the crowd as I climbed the podium gave me goosebumps; I don’t think I will forget that feeling—it’s not something you can buy, and I can’t wait to experience it again. The goal now is to maintain momentum and try to get more podiums, and when everything is perfect… maybe even the first victory.”
Antonelli knows his journey has just begun. Inside him is the desire and spirit to make rapid progress (as is right) but also the awareness that in Formula 1 you cannot improvise. Everything comes in due course. “I know there is a lot of work to do, especially in qualifying; I have to be fast from the very first session, but we are on the right path. The team is doing an excellent job and George is helping me push even further. There is great team dynamics, and hopefully we can keep this momentum for the next races.”
At his first post-race press conference, Antonelli sat alongside Russell and Verstappen, and Max (when asked) gave a very good assessment of Kimi’s situation. “It’s not a surprise to me; I’ve known Kimi since his karting days and I was watching him. I find his most impressive quality is his natural speed, but what I like most is his balanced and calm approach—those are fantastic qualities.”
“I never doubted that his first podium would come this season. He had some unlucky races, one of which was even my fault with the pit stop (in Miami). But it was only a matter of time, and I’m very happy it came now. Those are moments that help build confidence, give you a boost. In your rookie season, there are many things that help you grow; you learn from both the bad and the good races. In the coming years, I’m sure we’ll see a lot more of Kimi here.”
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