Max Verstappen praises Kimi Antonelli’s ‘impressive’ rise after rapid F1 turnaround

Verstappen impressed by Antonelli’s response

Max Verstappen has praised Kimi Antonelli’s early-season form, describing the Mercedes driver’s progress as “very impressive” after a striking turnaround from his rookie Formula 1 campaign.

That advantage was cut back after an unexpected retirement in Barcelona, a setback that has placed fresh emphasis on Mercedes’ execution and durability. For more on that issue, read our report on how Kimi Antonelli urged Mercedes to fix costly reliability issues after the Barcelona blow.

A young driver finding consistency

“In general, at that age to be doing what he is doing and trying to find that consistency as well, it’s very impressive,” Verstappen told media including RacingNews365.

He also highlighted Antonelli’s Monaco performance as evidence of the Italian’s developing composure under pressure, especially in qualifying.

“Also what he did in Monaco, at that age, it’s quite tough, especially in qualifying when the pressure is on to deliver these kind of laps,” Verstappen said. “I’m just happy for him that he’s doing these things. He’s a great talent. I knew that.”

Learning from rookie-season mistakes

For Verstappen, Antonelli’s growth is not about avoiding errors altogether, but about showing the capacity to absorb them and move forward. That, in F1 terms, is often the line between promise and genuine front-running substance.

“I could see that coming. In a rookie season, you have to make mistakes, but then it’s about how you learn from them, and I think he’s doing that very well,” Verstappen added. “It’s just very nice and impressive to see what he is doing currently and also what is there still to come.”

Verstappen rejects comparisons

Verstappen also warned against measuring Antonelli against past stars, arguing that the Mercedes driver’s focus should remain on building his own identity.

“Comparisons, he mentioned it himself, it’s important also just to be yourself and not look at others or try to be like someone else,” he said. “Just be yourself.”

He added: “He knows that and he just needs to do everything his own way. Because that’s also how you grow up, you do things your own way. And it’s also very important just to be your own star.”