Kimi Antonelli: “Las Vegas was my best race ever” – now targeting first F1 win in Qatar. Kimi Antonelli reflects on his stunning Las Vegas podium.

Kimi Antonelli: “Las Vegas my best race. Winning in Qatar? You never know, but we were strong here in 2024”

Qatar, Kimi Antonelli seeks confirmation

Under the bright lights of Las Vegas, Kimi Antonelli shone with a remarkable comeback that earned him a podium thanks to McLaren’s disqualification. This marked the third top-3 finish of the Bolognese driver’s career, and now he heads to Qatar seeking confirmation of his strong form. The Lusail circuit, which showcased the talent of Mercedes teammate George Russell back in 2020, now welcomes another Mercedes prospect. While the context is less favorable this time, Kimi Antonelli believes he can maintain his momentum.

Antonelli speaks

“I think Las Vegas was my best race of 2025 because we executed everything really well. The strategy was quite bold, but we made it work. The team did an excellent job, and for me personally it was my best race because during that 46-lap stint on the hard tires I managed the tires perfectly and combined everything I’ve learned throughout the season,” said Antonelli during the Qatar GP press conference.

“I wouldn’t have been able to handle that stint at the start of the year, but over the season you learn so much, you begin to understand how the tires behave, and then you try to figure out how things go in both the race and qualifying, pushing at different levels.” – the Italian driver pointed out ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix weekend.

Looking ahead to Lusail

As for Qatar, Kimi Antonelli’s dream is to achieve his first Formula 1 victory: “You never know. Mercedes was very strong here in 2024, especially in qualifying, so hopefully we can be just as strong or even better. This year has been strange because on tracks where we expected to perform well, we didn’t confirm, while on others we did surprisingly well. We’ll see tomorrow. The important thing is to start on the right foot with a good pace and then progress well throughout the weekend. I can’t wait to get on track and finish the year in the best possible way.”

With the pressure off Mercedes in the fight for second in the Constructors’ championship already secured, Kimi Antonelli has the perfect opportunity to attack and end his debut season on the highest possible note – potentially on the top step of the podium.