Kimi Antonelli has admitted that his future Mercedes teammate, George Russell, "wasn't too happy" following the rookie's first official Formula 1 session at Monza, where Antonelli crashed Russell's car in FP1.
Antonelli, 18, was given the chance to drive Russell's Mercedes during the Italian Grand Prix's first practice session in late August but only completed two laps before the crash. "That first lap was a unique emotion with all those people in the stands," Antonelli reflected while speaking at Il Festival dello Sport. "Now I will have two more opportunities in Mexico and Abu Dhabi."
The interviewer reminded Antonelli about the crash, to which the young driver acknowledged Russell's frustration. "He wasn't very happy," Antonelli smiled. "I was a bit too bold, but before going off at the Parabolica I was going fast."
Despite the incident, Antonelli noted that his relationship with Russell remains amicable. "I have a good relationship with George. He hasn't given me much advice, but for now everything is fine. But next year I want to beat him," he said confidently.
Antonelli also admitted that as recently as a few months ago, Mercedes team boss and mentor Toto Wolff wasn't convinced he was ready for Formula 1 at such a young age. "During the TPC (test of previous car) tests, one thing that impressed them was how quickly I got to the limit and how quickly I got to the target lap times that Mercedes wanted," Antonelli explained. "But I have to say that the factor I struggled with the most during testing was race pace."
However, after improving his race pace during the last two days of testing at Spa, Antonelli said, "That pushed Mercedes to sign me. I feel ready for F1. In terms of speed, I think it won't be a problem. The only thing that will have to be worked on a lot is how to manage the weekend in the best possible way and also learning all the procedures."
To aid in his preparation, Antonelli revealed that Mercedes is delivering a home simulator equipped with a real 2025 steering wheel. "What I will also have to get used to is hearing all the engineers in my ears, because I'm not someone who speaks much," Antonelli joked.
Looking back at his journey with Mercedes, Antonelli said he feels a deep gratitude toward Toto Wolff, who has supported him since boyhood. "I signed with the Academy in Monaco 2018," Antonelli shared. "Toto invited me and my father, but he had already contacted me the year before. At first, we couldn't believe it. It wasn't normal."
He also reflected on Wolff's mentorship, saying, "I have a great relationship with him – he's like a second father to me. He even scolded me recently because I was a bit naughty. But I'm very happy to be with him."
