Mercedes Benz Media
Kimi Antonelli’s debut Formula 1 weekend for Mercedes got off to a tricky start. The young Italian was knocked out of qualifying after posting a lap time only good enough for P16. His teammate George Russell qualified fourth and, initially, it looked as if Kimi was out of his depth.
But Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff later revealed that Antonelli suffered damage to his car’s bib (front part of the floor) after his first qualifying run, resulting in a loss of performance for his later attempts.
Starting P16 in a wet race meant that Antonelli was going to have an eventful Sunday afternoon if he was going to try and come through the pack. And that’s exactly what he did.
After an early spin lost him a few positions he carefully picked his way through the field. Some good strategy calls from Mercedes meant Kimi was on the right tyres at the right time and in the end, after a stunning late-race overtake on Alex Albon, he finished fourth.
In incredibly tricky conditions where 4 other rookies crashed out, Kimi showed astonishing car control and composure to stage a brilliant comeback drive on his debut.
It wasn’t without its nail-biting moments, however. Previously unseen footage shows Kimi saving a massive moment shortly before Doohan crashed in front of him. Then there was his spin just after he overtook Hulkenberg, but once he’d gathered it back up he had re-passed the Hulk just 3 laps later.
To most people, Kimi is a rookie who put on a great performance in Australia. But to those that know, his ability in the rain is not a surprise. He’s done this before.
12 second gap in 8 laps to win FRECA title
Kimi won the 2023 Formula Regional European Championship, and he did so in emphatic style at Zandvoort in the rain.
He started that race in 8th place. By the end of the first lap he was up to 2nd. Three corners later he was in the lead. After a lengthy red flag due to a collision in the mid-field, the race resumed with Kimi in the lead.
In the final 8 laps, Kimi built a gap of over 12 seconds to the second place driver to clinch the title. He showed complete confidence and control throughout the whole race in very tricky conditions and was untouchable. Watch his masterclass here.
F2 sprint race victory at Silverstone
In the year before he moved up to F1, Antonelli raced in Formula 2. He finished 6th overall in the championship but took two victories along the way; one at Hungary at one at the Silverstone.
His victory in the Silverstone sprint race took place in horrendous conditions. He started on pole and had built up a 3 second lead in just 3 laps. After a lengthy safety car period the race restarted with 7 laps remaining, in which time Kimi built up an 8 second lead to take the chequered flag. He was unmatched and unflappable, another quality drive in the rain.
The new rain master?
Many people questioned whether Toto Wolff had done the right thing by promoting Kimi Antonelli to a full time drive in the Mercedes F1 team, replacing Lewis Hamilton. Those questions were asked even louder after he crashed out during a practice session at Monza in 2024.
But Toto knows what he’s talking about and it’s obvious he must have seen something extra special in the youngster. Kimi’s drive in the rain on his debut highlighted his talent, confidence and composure in wet weather, all in a Formula 1 car which he had never driven in the rain before.
Is that what Toto saw in Antonelli that most of us didn’t? It’s quite likely, as some of the greatest F1 world champions ever to have lived have been wet-weather experts. Think Senna, Schumacher, Verstappen and even Button.
Driving fast and winning in the rain requires an extra layer of feel, an extra few percent of car control that marks out the good from the great. We may have just witnessed F1’s new rain master in action, and perhaps a future world champion.
