Andrea Kimi Antonelli not only achieved a personal milestone with his first podium finish in Canada, but he also became the first Italian in sixteen years to finish on a Formula 1 podium. The young rookie admits he got goosebumps when he was able to accept his trophy, and thanks his teammate George Russell for his help in achieving this great result.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli started the race in Canada on a high note. The Mercedes rookie immediately overtook Oscar Piastri for third place in the opening round. The Italian later held his ground in the final stages against the fast-advancing Australian, partly due to the collision between the two McLaren drivers and the subsequent safety car. In the end, the young Mercedes driver achieved his first podium finish.
“It was so much better than I expected,” Antonelli tells Motorsport Week. “To hear the crowd as you walk onto the podium, I just got goosebumps. This moment will definitely stay with me for a long time. It also gives you more self-confidence, these kinds of results and the feeling that comes with it. That feeling is amazing, and you just want more.” Antonelli’s podium finish is not only a personal milestone for the driver, but it is also the first podium finish for an Italian in sixteen years. “Of course, it feels fantastic to be the first Italian on the podium after such a long time. This result is therefore also for the Italian tifosi.”
However, Antonelli’s third place was not handed to him on a silver platter. The driver had to work hard in the final rounds, as the threat from the approaching Piastri increased. “I was hoping the race would end as soon as possible,” the Mercedes driver admits. “I was even counting the rounds. It was really stressful.”
Assistance from Russell
Antonelli was not the only Mercedes driver on the podium in Canada, teammate George Russell took the victory. The Italian says that his own good result ‘also partly came through George’. “George helps me to further develop myself. There is really a good dynamic in the team. Hopefully, we can carry this momentum into the next races.”
