Today, Kimi Antonelli has begun his final exams. With the clock as his adversary and teachers vigilantly ensuring no cheating occurs, the 18-year-old teen sensation faces a challenge quite different from last Sunday’s in Canada. Sweaty armpits, however, may once again be inevitable, though his mentor Alessandra Regina is not overly concerned.
Kimi Antonelli became the fourth youngest driver ever to secure a podium finish in Formula 1 during the Canadian Grand Prix, and was also the first Italian on the podium since Jarno Trulli at Suzuka in 2009. “I was hoping the race would end as quickly as possible. I was even counting the laps. It was really stressful,” he admitted afterwards.
The young Mercedes driver hasn’t had much rest since: this Wednesday, he began his final exams, along with about half a million other Italian students. Antonelli is completing his studies in International Relations and Marketing at the Gaetano Salvemini Institute in Casalecchio di Reno, near Bologna. “Despite Kimi always having many sporting commitments, he has never lost sight of his schoolwork and goal to graduate,” his mentor Alessandra Regina told ANSA news agency. “We are very happy and proud that he is taking his final exams along with his classmates. He is a very humble young man and his classmates support him.”
With Flying Colors
Today, the written Italian exam was on the schedule, with English following on Thursday, and then the oral state exam. Regina is confident of a successful outcome. “When he was traveling for a Grand Prix, he would call or write to me with questions, or come straight from the airport to the lesson to get explanations. He deserves to earn his diploma and pass with flying colors.”
Antonelli had just handed in his exam and hadn’t even had time to study when he was already being awaited by a large group of journalists. “I did my best, I was quite tense. I didn’t have much time to prepare,” Antonelli explained, further indicating that he felt much more relaxed for the English exam.
Even if the flag may not be raised, Regina remains proud: “His dream is to become a world champion in Formula 1 and he has already managed to stand on the podium, so we are very proud.”
