MIAMI, Florida — Each rookie driver in Method 1 has huge sneakers to fill, however some sneakers are larger than most.
Just like the sneakers of a seven-time Drivers’ Champion and one of many sport’s dwelling legends.
However that’s the state of affairs that younger Kimi Antonelli discovered himself in when Mercedes named him because the substitute for Lewis Hamilton, when one of many sport’s biggest drivers made the stunning transfer to Ferrari for the 2025 F1 season. Tasked with getting into these sneakers Antonelli has carried out admirably, scoring factors over 4 of the primary 5 race weekends of the 2025 marketing campaign. Because the grid arrives in Florida for the Miami Grand Prix, Antonelli sits sixth within the Drivers’ Standings, one spot forward of the motive force he changed.
The rookie driver credited his rising confidence as a cause for his sturdy begin Thursday in Miami.
“Nicely, positively it’s a brand new observe and appears fairly difficult as properly. It’s clearly the dash weekend, so only one observe after which straight into dash qualifying,” started Antonelli when assembly with the media, together with SB Nation, on Thursday.
“So clearly it’s a bit completely different to what I’ve been used to in Jeddah or Bahrain, however I believe due to the very fact I’m getting extra confidence with the automobile weekend by weekend, I believe it’s gonna be a bit simpler to stand up to hurry, simply because I’ve extra confidence within the automobile and extra confidence in pushing it to the restrict.”
Antonelli conceded that he’s nonetheless seeking to strike the precise steadiness between getting his laps in and discovering absolutely the restrict of the W16 every race weekend.
“After all, I’m not nonetheless the place I need to be by way of driving and pushing to the restrict, however each weekend I really feel like I’m making a step ahead,” continued Antonelli. “Tomorrow the observe, it’s gonna even be fairly soiled, so it’s gonna be a fairly, I believe, distinctive session. But it surely’s gonna be actually essential to start out off with the precise rhythm and construct lap by lap, with the intention to be as nice as potential for dash qualifying.
“After all, I believe it’s not gonna be simple, however I believe we will nonetheless ship a great end result.”
Antonelli additionally talked about putting the precise steadiness of aggression. Earlier within the day Oliver Bearman talked about how one of many tough issues he’s present in adjusting to life in F1 is discovering precisely the place the bounds are, and the way a lot he can push the automobile. Bearman talked about how his 12 months obtained off to a tough begin within the season-opening race in Australia, and the way he needed to “be taught the arduous manner” to strike that steadiness.
Antonelli outlined how he feels the identical manner.
“Nicely, I needed to be taught the arduous manner as properly. “I believe what I’m speaking about,” mentioned the Mercedes rookie, in seemingly reference to his rookie observe session final 12 months at Monza the place he put George Russell’s W15 into the wall on simply his second push lap.
“I really feel like, , this strategy is nice, however you actually have to be cautious with additionally your mindset as a result of in the event you inform your self, ‘I’m gonna begin simple, simply gonna slowly get into the rhythm,’ I believe it’s probably not the precise mindset.
“After all, you wanna construct up, however you wanna begin off already with a great stage of pushing as a result of in the event you begin too far off, then it’s actually arduous to catch up.
“So I believe it’s essential to have the precise strategy, however actually essential to have the precise mindset as properly with the way you, you are taking the session.”
Antonelli then mentioned the format of this weekend, which is the second F1 Dash race of the 2025 marketing campaign. He was requested which format he prefers — the usual race weekend with three observe periods or an F1 Dash race with a single observe session earlier than F1 Dash qualifying — and the Mercedes rookie joked that his reply would possibly depend upon the outcomes.
“If it goes unhealthy, I’d most likely need the conventional weekend with all three observe periods,” started Antonelli with amusing.
Nonetheless, he did observe that driving in Method 2, the place there was a single observe session earlier than qualifying, has ready him properly for F1 Dash weekends.
“As I mentioned, , final 12 months was at all times like this. One free observe after which straight into qualifying, and it was at all times actually robust as a result of in F2 we’re going with the tougher compound after which in qualifying going with the gentle compound with out even attempting it in free observe. So I believe that basically helps as properly for this dash weekends,” described Antonelli.
“After all, driving in F1 is so much completely different and it requires extra effort and it’s tougher on some sides, however I believe F2 prepares you properly for this sort of weekend,” continued the Mercedes rookie. “As a result of, particularly it prepares you to really attempt to be on the restrict, from FP1, which, , I didn’t actually do it thus far this season. But it surely’s one thing that I actually need to do, from this race onwards, as a result of I believe it will probably actually assist for, for the remainder of the weekend.”
In the long run, nevertheless, all of it comes again to his confidence.
“Yeah, I imply, each weekend I’m extra assured within the automobile, extra conscious of what the automobile is able to, and extra conscious on setup adjustments as properly,” added Antonelli.
Tomorrow will see the younger driver try to achieve much more confidence, within the one observe session forward of F1 Dash qualifying right here in Miami.
SB Nation will likely be on the bottom for your complete Miami Grand Prix, so examine our story stream all week lengthy for full protection!
