Kimi Antonelli admits that outside the cockpit of his Mercedes, he faces some small challenges… “I don’t know how to do the laundry, clean, or cook. I hope my mom will still help me.”
Kimi Antonelli feels ready to take a big step, and we’re not talking about Formula 1 World Championships (which are still in his sights), but about cutting the cord with his family: the 19-year-old driver from Emilia is about to move out. “But when it comes to household chores, I’m a disaster,” he frankly admits. “I need to learn because soon I’ll be living on my own permanently, but I don’t know how to do the laundry, the cleaning, or cook… I hope my mom will still come to help me because I’m not practical at all as a ‘household man.’ People say I’m very mature for my age, but in these matters, I have a lot to learn.”
Kimi Antonelli reveals mid-season breakdown: “During that difficult period, I cried a lot”
Kimi Antonelli is also open about his very human weaknesses, like the emotional breakdown he experienced after a drastic drop in performance mid-season, with the lowest point at his home Grand Prix in Monza. At that moment, the ‘predestined’ driver felt crushed by tons of pressure, and his defenses collapsed: “I cry. During that difficult period, I cried a lot. I struggled especially mentally because I started doubting myself. You arrive in Formula 1, the dream of your life, what you’ve worked so hard for, and after a strong start to the season, you start to underperform. It was tough. I also lacked the composure and clarity that more experienced drivers have when managing difficult moments.”
However, his strong comeback at the end of the season showed that Kimi Antonelli has something within him beyond raw speed. A confident rise that confirmed Toto Wolff’s choice—seen by some as a bold gamble—was an investment likely to yield significant dividends in the coming years.
Antonelli sees silver, not red: “Ferrari a dream? For me, Mercedes is everything”
The bond between Kimi Antonelli and Mercedes is extremely strong, to the point that the young driver from Bologna doesn’t use polite phrases when Gazzetta dello Sport asks if he dreams of driving for Ferrari. His answer is a firm ‘no’: “Mercedes is everything to me: they believed in me and helped me grow. I want to win with them. Toto has known me since I was a child, and we have a special bond that has grown stronger this year. He knew how to push me and also be tough with me when I needed it. He’s the best at what he does, I’m sure of it. This year I’ve learned so much, and it’s just the beginning. The team is working incredibly hard to give us the best car, and it’s up to me to try to do the rest—winning races and maybe, who knows, even fighting for the World Championship.” – the Italian driver concluded.
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