Andrea Kimi Antonelli reached the Formula 1 podium with Mercedes before Lewis Hamilton managed to do so with Scuderia Ferrari: the young Italian driver responds with poise and maturity after this symbolic comparison with his illustrious predecessor.
The last two races in the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship have not been easy for Andrea Kimi Antonelli, but they certainly do not overshadow the remarkable achievement he secured during the Canadian Grand Prix weekend. That race weekend saw the young driver from Bologna clinch his very first career podium in the premier class of motorsport. Notably, this third-place finish came after just ten Grands Prix in his debut season, marking a significant milestone in his development and progress.
More importantly, this podium also carried a symbolic weight: Antonelli managed to finish in the top three before the man he replaced at Mercedes — seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton — reached the same milestone with his new team, Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton, who left Mercedes at the end of the 2024 season to join the Maranello-based outfit, has yet to secure a podium in red.
This unusual and eye-catching statistic led to comparisons between the two, but how did Antonelli react to the idea of reaching the podium before one of the sport’s most successful drivers? The response came immediately after the race, when Antonelli was interviewed in the media zone. “Honestly, I don’t think too much about that,” he said. “Because, you know, in the end Lewis has made history in this sport, and I wouldn’t even dream of being compared to him.”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli and the podium that could mark a turning point
The young Formula 1 rookie from Bologna managed to secure his first podium finish in the top category of motorsport after only ten race weekends driving for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team. It was a landmark moment not only in his personal career but also for the German outfit, which placed great trust in his potential by promoting him to a race seat at such a young age.
“I’m definitely happy to have gotten a podium after 10 races,” he added. “And I think this has to be the turning point, the springboard to try to achieve even more in the next races.”
Naturally, the comparison with Lewis Hamilton, who joined Ferrari after ending a long and historic partnership with Mercedes in late 2024, is inevitable. Yet Andrea Kimi Antonelli steers clear of any rivalry narrative with wisdom and maturity well beyond his years: “I don’t think too much about these things,” he explained. “In the end, the main goal is to stay focused on myself and try to perform at my best every time I go out on track.”
His words and attitude reveal a mindset rarely seen in drivers of his age. In a sport where young athletes are often burdened by comparisons with past legends, Kimi Antonelli chooses to look forward, staying grounded and motivated rather than distracted by hype or symbolic statistics.
Mercedes can breathe a sigh of relief and look to the future with confidence, knowing they have entrusted their car to a driver who not only possesses natural talent and raw speed, but also the right mentality to grow steadily and mature under pressure. The podium finish in Montreal might just be the beginning of a long and successful journey.
“The goal is always the same,” concluded the promising Italian driver. “To improve every time I step into the car.” Ready to write his own chapter in the history of Formula 1, Andrea Kimi Antonelli is already showing that he has what it takes to become one of the sport’s future stars.
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