Inside Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s F1 debut

Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s smartphone pings to sign the arrival of his Thursday schedule. As with all issues Mercedes, its promptness is matched by its element: a little bit over 24 hours stay till his first race-weekend observe session as a fully-fledged Method 1 driver, however he has already been in Melbourne for a number of days to align his physique clock with the native timings.

“Are we actually going to handle to do all this right now?” Kimi asks after scrutinising the color-coded spreadsheet.

At 9 within the morning, a media session is scheduled alongside team-mate George Russell, reserve driver Valtteri Bottas and staff boss Toto Wolff at a seaside venue in St. Kilda, overlooking Port Phillip bay with the ocean past. As specified within the schedule, Antonelli arrives sporting the staff gear Mercedes has chosen for race weekends in 2025.

“How do I look?” Kimi asks with a contact of delight. Then he steps onto the stage and, from that second, the actual grind begins.

It’s unlucky, if inevitable given Antonelli’s standing as a rookie together with his F1 journey very a lot forward of him, that lots of the questions pertain to the previous occupant of his seat – Lewis Hamilton. It’s a effectively to which his interlocutors return repeatedly.

“I don’t wish to sound conceited,” Kimi says, “however I’d like to jot down my very own story. I don’t know what the long run holds, however I simply wish to observe my very own path.”

As soon as the media session ends, it is straight to the observe for a gathering with the engineers to debate the weekend forward. The remainder of the day is equally dictated by enterprise, each sporting and advertising: the obligatory FIA weigh-in, the official photograph of all drivers on the grid (will all of them nonetheless be there at season’s finish?), his first official FIA press convention, a social media session for the staff, an autograph session with followers, a gathering with Australian soccer gamers, one other briefing with engineers underneath his race engineer Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington, and an occasion with Mercedes Australia representatives.

Although he doesn’t present it, Kimi has been eagerly awaiting his household’s arrival in Melbourne on Thursday – his father Marco, mom Veronica and youthful sister Maggie. They’re staying in a special resort and, every morning, he picks them up himself – having handed his driving take a look at simply six weeks in the past.

“Now that I’ve my driving license, it’s solely honest,” he says. “They drove me round for years.”

Friday begins early for Kimi: within the gymnasium at 8am together with his efficiency coach, Sergi Avila. This isn’t a feel-the-burn exercise. Like the opposite coaches on the grid, Avila is greater than only a private coach – he acts as driver-whisperer and helps handle stress forward of the massive weekend.

“We at all times begin with mobility workouts,” Avila explains, “then fast activation and visible workouts. It additionally helps us assess if sleep high quality was ample.”

In widespread with many different F1 drivers, Antonelli wears a ‘good ring’ which tracks bodily exercise and might provide Avila with varied well being and efficiency metrics, in addition to monitoring sleep cycles.

“Sleep-tracking makes it unimaginable for drivers to remain up late,” Avila laughs. “We’d know instantly.”

Each side of Antonelli’s lengthy journey from Italy to Melbourne was rigorously deliberate, together with a one-day stopover in Kuala Lumpur. The physique’s pure circadian rhythm – the wake-sleep cycle – strikes however step by step, and is principally guided by daylight.

“It [the stopover] helps Kimi alter to the time zone extra progressively,” Avila says. “We additionally selected in a single day flights to land within the morning.”

Diet is one other essential consider driver well being and efficiency, however Avila sees no points there: “Kimi is fortunate to come back from a household that prioritises wholesome consuming.”

Upon arriving on the observe, Antonelli discovers a novel function of Melbourne. Drivers are among the many few allowed to drive on the inner roads of Albert Park – and, as soon as they attain the reserved parking space, they have to stroll down ‘Melbourne Stroll’, a pathway that has turn into a major attraction for followers. Custom dictates that each F1 celeb stops for autographs, photographs and greetings.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Photograph by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Pictures

“Wow, so many individuals!” Kimi exclaims as he takes within the spectacle of this heaving mass of followers, most of them thrusting out footage and gadgets of merchandise for him to signal. This being Australia, a rustic with an extended F1 custom, everybody is aware of who he’s regardless of his rookie standing: “Kimi!” they shriek, and the amount solely will increase as he will get nearer.

One fan palms him an outdated karting photograph. “The place did you get this?” he asks, shocked. Others greet him in Italian (“We’re not simply right here for Ferrari!”) or want him a podium end, to which he cautiously responds, “Perhaps! It’ll take time…”

As Kimi walks the trail, Christian Horner overtakes him, seemingly drawing much less consideration than the younger Italian – a truth which can in all probability trigger him to chafe, given how rigorously he grooms his profile through the likes of Drive to Survive. It’s a superb 20 minutes earlier than Antonelli lastly reaches the paddock gates and swipes by way of together with his move.

Kimi’s agenda stays packed: greetings, a fast staff assembly, and answering exact technical questions, surrounded by engineers, all with headsets and screens. It’s like a NASA management room however, having been within the Mercedes young-driver set-up for thus lengthy, Antonelli is completely acquainted with the atmosphere.

Toto Wolff arrives simply earlier than FP1. “All the pieces okay, Kimi?” A unique feeling is creeping into the air within the storage, because the minutes tick by in direction of the second when automobiles enterprise out onto observe. Antonelli simply nods – he’s already in ‘race mode’.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Photograph by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Pictures

The day flies by. After FP2, Antonelli sums up his session: “Our long-run tempo seems strong. I nonetheless must fine-tune my warm-up lap with the comfortable tyres.” His mom affectionately ruffles his hair.

“It’s good, however I want to enhance quite a bit,” he admits. His father affords two observations, and Kimi nods earlier than heading into one other engineering debrief.

“I raced right here final 12 months in F2,” he says, “however in an F1 automobile it seems like a totally totally different circuit. All the pieces modifications – even the tyres are completely totally different from testing.”

Bonnington reassures him: “Good begin.” Nevertheless it’s clear that Antonelli desires extra.

Saturday morning begins with one other spherical of fan interactions on the best way in, however the actual spotlight for the native crowd comes at 11am: a ‘fan zone’ occasion. A automobile is summoned to whisk Antonelli and Russell to the venue, the place all 20 drivers are as a result of take turns showing on stage.

Roberto Chinchero, Motorsport.com Italia with Andrea Kimi Antonelli, George Russell, Mercedes

Photograph by: Mercedes GP Petronas Method One Workforce

As they method, Kimi does one thing uncommon for an F1 driver. Their automobile’s home windows are tinted, concealing the occupants from prying eyes – however Antonelli rolls his all the way down to greet the gang. “So many individuals! It’s nice to see so many passionate followers, they usually’re largely younger.”

Kimi has introduced Maggie alongside they usually stroll backstage hand in hand, the second captured by the throng of photographers and duly decanted onto social media as a major instance of ‘healthful feels’. On stage, he and Russell obtain a standing ovation.

“Looks like a live performance!” exclaims Maggie.

Ten minutes of questions, a fast sport with the viewers, some cap-throwing – then again to the paddock for qualifying. As with all different elements of the day, the drivers are on the clock so that they’re ushered again once more by automobile.

The following observe session serves up essentially the most disappointing second of his weekend. After damaging the automobile’s ground on the Flip 6 kerb, Antonelli fails to advance previous Q1 and the duty forward turns into but harder.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Photograph by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Pictures

As his mechanics swarm underneath the W16 to evaluate the injury to its underfloor, the remainder of the staff rally spherical. “No worries, it occurs – let’s give attention to tomorrow,” they reassure him.

Antonelli forces a smile, however his frustration is clear. His P5 tempo in FP3 had advised a a lot better final result than his last P16 grid spot.

“But when it actually rains tomorrow…” his father feedback prophetically, having scrutinized the forecast.

On Sunday, the ‘ifs’ depart – as predicted, the rain arrives, and it’s heavy sufficient for the Method 2 race to be cancelled. There’s merely no room within the observe schedule to delay, and even to run it after the grand prix, since every little thing needs to be packed up for the onward journey to China subsequent weekend.

“Think about the frustration,” Kimi says. “Touring all the best way to Australia and never racing! For individuals who certified up entrance, that should be crushing.”

The following query is whether or not the grand prix can be equally affected. As race time nears, stress builds – for Kimi and his dad and mom, and the remainder of the grid. Solely Maggie appears relaxed, occupied together with her coloring pens within the Mercedes hospitality lounge.

Simply when it appears the rain has abated sufficient to get the grand prix underneath means on time, there’s a 15-minute delay as Isack Hadjar crunches into the obstacles on the formation lap. Because the grid lastly will get going once more to take the beginning, Kimi’s mom decides that watching the TV footage is just too irritating: she removes herself to a non-public room with only a timing display.

It is a good name – she avoids the panic second when Kimi spins after touching the grass at Flip 3. However from there, he levels a outstanding restoration. Lap after lap, he climbs the order.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Photograph by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Pictures

Two laps from the end, Toto Wolff calls his dad and mom into the storage. Moments later, the chequered flag confirms Antonelli’s P4 end. Hugs, pats on the again and smiles abound as they rush to parc ferme to satisfy him.

All the staff gathers underneath the rostrum to rejoice Russell’s P3 end earlier than Antonelli heads to the ‘pen’ for the obligatory spherical of post-race interviews. “I’ve to say, the questions had been all fairly nice,” he remarks.

Again within the Mercedes hospitality lounge, Wolff is essentially the most elated – the person who backed Antonelli’s expertise since his karting days feels vindicated. The quick stroll from the interview space to the staff’s headquarters takes for much longer than it will on every other day, for now everybody stops Kimi for congratulations, handshakes, and high-fives. He smiles, thanks all of them, and appears overwhelmed by the respect he’s earned.

His first phrases upon sitting down say all of it: “Now I can say I’ve erased Monza.”

His first FP1 outing final 12 months within the Italian Grand Prix weekend had prompted reward and questions in equal measure as he drove with pace and attacking elan… earlier than crashing.

“Oh, and I hope you noticed my move on Albon – not unhealthy, huh?” He grins, then glances on the race outcomes. “Nicely… there are some fairly huge names behind me, proper?”

The Antonelli household’s desk is on the hospitality entrance, and well-wishers hold stopping by. “Tonight? I’ll be sleeping – on the aircraft. We depart instantly for Shanghai.”

Whereas his household enjoys a short trip in Australia, Kimi dozes off quickly after takeoff. Simply earlier than switching off, although, he reads one final message from Wolff: “IN FUTURE, STAY AWAY FROM WHITE LINES AND GRASS.”

Kimi chuckles. “Guess he was extra scared than I used to be…”

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Photograph by: Mercedes-Benz