It was a golden weekend for Kimi Antonelli in Brazil. The young Mercedes driver secured second place in both the Sprint and the main race on Sunday — his best result of the season and of his Formula 1 career so far. Throughout the weekend, Antonelli’s name was repeatedly compared to that of Max Verstappen, and for good reason: the two now share an extraordinary record as the youngest drivers ever to stand on the podium at Interlagos.
Verstappen achieved that milestone at 19 years and 44 days, while Antonelli did it at 19 years and 76 days. However, what makes Antonelli’s achievement even more significant is that he did it during his rookie season — just like Kimi Räikkönen did in his debut year, a detail that gives the result even greater weight.
Statistics aside, Kimi Antonelli’s performance in São Paulo was a true rediscovery of his talent and confidence. After a difficult stretch earlier in the year, particularly during the European leg of the championship, the young Italian seems to have turned a corner. In recent races, he has consistently delivered strong performances and, most notably, has now outperformed his teammate George Russell in two consecutive Grands Prix. At Interlagos, Russell appeared completely unable to match the pace of his teammate, who was in phenomenal form throughout the weekend.
Kimi Antonelli finished second in every key session — second in the Sprint Qualifying, second in the Sprint race, second in Saturday’s qualifying, and finally second again in the Grand Prix itself. The consistency was impressive, but it was the quality of his driving that truly stood out.
Antonelli was the only one who could challenge Max Verstappen — even with a damaged car
Beyond the statistics, there was a specific moment that perfectly symbolized Antonelli’s maturity and skill — and likely frustrated George Russell considerably. In the final stages of the race, the Italian managed to hold off the relentless attacks of Max Verstappen despite having sustained damage to his car after a collision with Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc on lap six. What’s more impressive is that George Russell, driving a car in perfect condition, could not do the same. When Verstappen caught up to Russell, he overtook the Briton within a single lap, as soon as he had the chance to activate the DRS.
To be fair to George Russell, there was a slight difference in tire condition. When Verstappen reached him, the Dutchman’s Soft tyres had completed only seven or eight laps. When he caught up to Antonelli later, they already had around twelve or thirteen laps on them. Still, that doesn’t diminish what the young Italian accomplished. Holding off a world champion like Verstappen under those circumstances was almost heroic — a performance that represented a genuine humiliation for Russell, who had no such answers.
In fact, when all was said and done, Kimi Antonelli was the only driver in Brazil whom Max Verstappen could not overtake. The only one who truly managed to fight him wheel to wheel. That achievement, more than the second-place finish itself, confirmed Antonelli’s arrival as a major new talent in Formula 1 — and sent a clear message to both Mercedes and the rest of the grid: the future has already begun.
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