High praise from Verstappen for Antonelli after the podium in Canada, the Italian is now under close watch
Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli finished second and third respectively at the Canadian Grand Prix—a tightly contested race with very small gaps between the front-runners. Mercedes was in great form over the weekend, which allowed the Italian driver to claim his first podium in Formula 1. A performance on par with the best drivers on the grid, which earned him compliments even from the reigning world champion.
What the two drivers have in common is certainly the young age at which they began competing in Formula 1. The talent of both should be beyond question, and we saw clear evidence of it in Montréal. Antonelli bounces back after a difficult spell, not just for him but for Mercedes as well. The podium result helps to erase, at least in part, the negative weekends he’s had recently.
Max Verstappen’s compliments
Max Verstappen didn’t hold back in praising Kimi Antonelli after the Canadian result. The Dutchman has followed the Italian’s performances closely in the junior categories and is well aware of his skills behind the wheel. “This result didn’t surprise me, even when he was racing in karting there was a lot of talk about his talent. That’s why I’ve been keeping an eye on him.”
“What’s impressive is that he’s naturally fast. I like his composure and calmness—those are great qualities. I never doubted that he would make it onto the podium this year.” The Red Bull driver also acknowledged the bad luck Kimi has had this season and referenced their collision in Miami: “That was my mistake. As a rookie, you gain a lot of experience and learn from the more difficult and demanding races.”
Max Verstappen concluded with good wishes for the future: “I’m happy he’s getting to experience this. It’s a great motivational boost and things can only improve from here. I’m sure we’ll be seeing much more of Kimi in the coming years.”
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