Lionel Messi and his entire family were waiting to greet him in a memorable post-race moment.
The Italian driver, coming off his third consecutive success of the season in Formula 1 and increasingly emerging as a championship leader, looked visibly exhausted after the demanding race.
Kimi Antonelli and the Miami GP fatigue before meeting Messi
In a video published on Mercedes’ official social media channels, Antonelli’s raw post-race emotions were captured moments after his triumph.
He collapsed into a chair, visibly drained, and tried to explain just how difficult it had been to close out the race.
Speaking almost in a whisper, Kimi said: “It’s so hot, really hot and humid. It was intense.”
The driver could barely wait to cross the finish line and step out of the cockpit.
“At one point I looked at the screen: when I was on the hard tyres I saw there were still 20 laps left. I thought: ‘I just want this race to end’. I was saying: ‘Please, end quickly’.”
The emotion of meeting a football superstar
After recovering from the race effort, Kimi Antonelli met several celebrities present at the event, most notably Lionel Messi and his family.
The Argentine striker, the undisputed star of Inter Miami, enjoyed the Grand Prix together with his “clan” before personally meeting the race winner.
Before Antonelli, Messi had already met fellow Argentine Franco Colapinto, who was present in the room alongside Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali.
The atmosphere was full of excitement for the football legend, who appeared in good spirits after his recent dramatic defeat with his team (from 3-0 to 4-3).
He warmly greeted Antonelli, showing genuine appreciation and enthusiasm for the young Mercedes driver.
Antonelli, still concerned about his appearance after the race, immediately apologized, also to Messi’s wife:
“Thank you very much. Sorry if I’m sweaty.”
The exchange continued with smiles and mutual respect, as the Mercedes driver thanked the football icon:
“I’m really happy to meet you. Thank you very much.”
It was a memorable experience for Kimi Antonelli, who continues to earn admiration from sporting legends across different disciplines, including Jannik Sinner and Lionel Messi.
Reflecting on the encounter later, the Formula 1 championship leader described it as a dream moment:
“It’s incredible to be able to meet Messi: I’ve followed him since he played at Barcelona. Meeting him today was a dream.”
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