A new chapter in the story of Andrea Kimi Antonelli was written today at Suzuka, where the young Italian made history with a record-breaking performance. Despite finishing sixth, the Bologna-born driver expressed his satisfaction with the race
Andrea Kimi Antonelli has made history. While the spotlight of the Japanese Grand Prix rightly shines on Max Verstappen for his heroic drive in the Red Bull against the two McLarens, Antonelli undoubtedly deserves his share of the limelight. On yet another underwhelming day for Ferrari—despite this being their best result of the season—the Italian flag was proudly carried by the 18-year-old from Bologna, who crossed the line in sixth place.
Running just behind George Russell and displaying the poise of a seasoned driver, Antonelli expertly managed his medium tyres in the opening stint, outperforming the rest of the top runners in terms of tyre longevity. This strategy allowed him to switch to significantly fresher hard compounds later in the race.
It was during this extended first stint that Antonelli etched his name into the record books, leading the Japanese Grand Prix for ten laps at just 18 years and 7 months old—breaking Max Verstappen’s 2016 record set in Spain. But that wasn’t all. Once on the hard tyres in the final stint, Antonelli went on to set the fastest lap of the race, another milestone making him the youngest ever to do so. In short, it was truly a day to remember.
Antonelli’s Words and Surprise at His Own Performance
After a remarkable race in Japan, Antonelli shared his thoughts:”It felt great to be leading the race for a few laps. But it didn’t distract me from my focus, which was maintaining a strong race pace. I’m really pleased with how it went—especially with the performance on the hard tyres. In the final stint, I felt like I could really ‘play’ with the car, which made it all the more enjoyable “.
Then he added: ““Even though some of the compliments are flattering, I’m not really fond of certain labels. I was honestly surprised by the pace we had. When the team told me over the radio that I was the fastest on track, I was a bit stunned. But I gave it everything, especially since I could see I was closing in on the cars ahead. I believed right until the end—unfortunately, I just ran out of time”. “.
Photo: Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team
