Winning at Monaco is worth far more than a regular victory. Triumphing in the Principality means conquering the Grand Prix that stands above all others in Formula 1 history. With his fifth consecutive win, Kimi Antonelli delivered a genuine masterpiece, dominating the race from start to finish and successfully navigating the challenges that unfolded on the streets of Monte Carlo after the red flag caused by Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari crash.
The young Italian driver secured victory while becoming the youngest winner ever at Monaco. Remarkably, after just six races of the season, no driver in history had previously managed to build a 66-point lead in the World Championship standings.
Antonelli after his Monaco triumph: “I’ve never felt this good in a racing car”
“Up until the red flag, I was pushing just enough to maintain my pace,” explained Kimi Antonelli, who remained in complete control of the race for all 68 laps.
“Then, obviously, the red flag came out and I thought: no, why!? When there’s a red flag, you lose a bit of concentration and it wasn’t easy to refocus on the objective, especially knowing that we had to go through another start procedure and do everything again.”
Despite the interruption, the Mercedes driver showed the composure of a seasoned veteran. He managed the final stages of the race with extraordinary precision, immediately building a solid advantage over Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari after the restart.
“Today was probably one of the days when I felt best in a racing car, ever,” Kimi said after securing his fifth straight victory.
“Ever since we made the setup changes between Friday and Saturday, my confidence increased exponentially, and today was confirmation of that progress. It’s one thing to put together a fast lap in qualifying, but I didn’t know how I would perform over a race distance. After the first few laps, though, I realised that I had the car completely under control, and from that moment I was simply able to run my own pace.”
The special connection with the number 12
Winning at Monaco with such a commanding performance inevitably brings back memories of the legendary champions who have conquered the streets of the Principality, including Ayrton Senna, Kimi Antonelli’s childhood idol.
“It’s a special number to race with here, so it’s nice to win with number 12. The road ahead is still very long and we’re only at the sixth race of the season. We need to keep going like this and continue raising the bar. At the same time, there’s a fantastic atmosphere within the team and we’re enjoying ourselves a lot.”
“The only person who could stop me today was myself”
“Today the only person who could stop me was myself,” Antonelli said in an interview with Sky Sport.
“Now we go to Barcelona, and it will be a completely different weekend. Every race weekend brings a different experience. Of course, I’m going to enjoy this moment with the team, but then it will be time to get back to work because Barcelona is next week. We need to pick up exactly where we left off here. It will be important to focus on the things that matter and approach everything with determination and commitment.”
The humility of father Marco: “We are a normal family. Maybe one day we will write history, but today is only a small chapter”
Although Antonelli is producing something truly rare in Formula 1 history, what continues to stand out is the humility of both the driver and his family, as well as their awareness that no World Championship has yet been won. That was the message delivered by his father Marco Antonelli after the chequered flag.
“I suffered more during the second restart than the first one,” he admitted.
“We are people who come from motorsport, and we know how this world works. Up to now, we haven’t achieved anything yet. There are people here who have won seven World Championships. You must always be aware that somewhere in the world there could be someone who is better than you. You should never become too presumptuous and say you are the best, because you never know what can happen.”
It is a mentality shaped by a family with deep roots in motorsport, but one that has always prioritised values before results. Marco believes those values have played a crucial role in his son’s rapid rise.
“This is the philosophy we have always tried to pass on to Kimi. I think the reason he has made this leap forward is precisely because of his mentality. He’s a 19-year-old boy who still needs to enjoy himself. You should have seen what we were doing last night,” he joked.
“We are normal people. Tomorrow I’m going back to work. We won today, but our life has never changed. I’m not saying this to downplay the achievement, but there are many people who have achieved far more than he has. Maybe one day we will write history, but so far we have only written a small chapter. This is just the foundation.”
“I hope Kimi’s example can inspire many young people,” Marco Antonelli continued. “To have a goal in life and pursue it until they achieve it. Any goal, even something as simple and important as becoming a good person.”
Italy divided between supporting Kimi and Ferrari?
“If Ferrari wins, I’m happy because I grew up as a Ferrari fan. But it’s also right for people to support Kimi, because you have to be objective and look at what happens on track every weekend.”
And regarding Mercedes’ role in his son’s success, Marco was quick to acknowledge the contribution of the Brackley-based team:
“Kimi is very talented, but you also need to be in the right place at the right time. He found the right car, and Mercedes deserves a lot of credit for giving him a fantastic machine.”
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