Mercedes Method 1 driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli has opened up about how Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen deal with him in a different way this yr, because the 19-year-old driver leads the drivers’ standings. The assertion arrives amid Mercedes’ dominance, which has helped Kimi Antonelli win two of the primary three grands prix.
After a powerful debut season in 2025, Antonelli has gone on to develop into the youngest driver in F1 historical past to win a race and the youngest ever to steer the championship after his victories on the 2026 Chinese language and Japanese Grans Prix.
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As a workforce, Mercedes has received all three races so far, as Kimi Antonelli’s teammate, George Russell, received the opening spherical in Australia. Being within the limelight after his current win on the Suzuka Circuit, Kimi Antonelli has observed many adjustments this season as rivals take a look at him as a severe championship contender, whereas final yr, he was perceived as an 18-year-old driver who had simply entered the premier class of motorsports.
In an interview with , Kimi Antonelli revealed how multi-world championship winners like Hamilton and Verstappen have modified the way in which they work together with him this season, which is a stark distinction from the earlier yr. When requested if he shares a superb relationship with them, the Mercedes driver stated:
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“Final yr they have been very open and helped me. However now they’ve stopped.”
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Verstappen’s personal issues at Pink Bull might have held him again from providing recommendation, as his workforce struggles to seek out tempo on his RB22 F1 automotive.
“My Victory Confirmed That I Can Beat Anybody”
Hamilton, nevertheless, did give him some nice recommendation to be quick. Kimi Antonelli stated:
“The concept I ought to all the time be myself and revel in what I do to be able to be quick. The strain on this atmosphere is so nice that it’s straightforward to neglect that.”
When requested if he had what it takes to be a world champion, regardless of restricted expertise in F1, Kimi Antonelli stated:
“Expertise is my largest weak spot in comparison with drivers like George (my teammate Russell), no query. You’ll be able to’t purchase that. However I’m assured that I’d nonetheless have an opportunity if the chance arose. I’ve been working in the direction of this for a few years, and my victory confirmed that I can beat anybody if I carry out to my potential. However to try this, I must get the fundamentals proper. My workforce and I continuously remind ourselves of that.”
