The 2025 season has truly been a rollercoaster for Kimi Antonelli. The Italian started his debut campaign in the top category with solid results, before two key highlights set the tone for the first part of his year. First came his pole position for the Miami Sprint, followed by his maiden career podium in Canada.
The European stint, however, proved extremely challenging. That phase of the season featured several incidents, multiple DNFs, and finishes outside the points. But in the last few races, the 2006-born driver has begun to show once again why he earned his place in Formula 1. The latest demonstration came with his second-place finish at Interlagos, where he managed to stay ahead of Max Verstappen.
According to former Ferrari engineer Luigi Mazzola, true talent always emerges regardless of age or experience. “Antonelli is very young, so he is inevitably less mature than others, but he has shown composure, the ability to read the race, and to manage the tyres. These are qualities that cannot be taught: either you have them or you don’t,” he said.
For Mazzola, his profile immediately brings to mind someone outside the world of motorsport. “He is extraordinary, a source of pride for Italy, just like Jannik Sinner,” he added.
Mazzola also highlighted another crucial aspect: Antonelli’s opportunity to grow alongside a teammate like George Russell, who serves both as a stable reference point and as a continuous incentive to improve.
The relationship with Verstappen
But perhaps the most significant sign comes from someone who understands what it means to rise to prominence at a very young age in Formula 1: Max Verstappen. The three-time World Champion has publicly expressed his admiration for Antonelli, a gesture that Luigi Mazzola considers particularly meaningful.
“The fact that Max Verstappen appreciates him carries enormous weight: he also arrived very young in Formula 1 and most likely sees something of himself in Antonelli,” Luigi Mazzola said.
On this topic, Luigi Mazzola recalled an illuminating anecdote from his time as Alain Prost’s race engineer in 1991. “At Spa, Michael Schumacher made his debut with Jordan. During FP1, Prost watched what he was doing on track, then came over to me and said: ‘Who is that driver? That guy is fast, keep an eye on him.’ And that is why, when a champion recognises another champion, he is rarely wrong,” he concluded.
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