Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s smartphone pings to sign the arrival of his Thursday schedule. As with all issues Mercedes, its promptness is matched by its element: somewhat over 24 hours stay till his first race-weekend monitor session as a fully-fledged Formulation 1 driver, however he has already been in Melbourne for a number of days to align his physique clock with the native timings.
“Are we actually going to handle to do all this in the present day?” Kimi asks after scrutinising the color-coded spreadsheet.
At 9 within the morning, a media session is scheduled alongside team-mate George Russell, reserve driver Valtteri Bottas and crew boss Toto Wolff at a seaside venue in St. Kilda, overlooking Port Phillip bay with the ocean past. As specified within the schedule, Antonelli arrives carrying the crew gear Mercedes has chosen for race weekends in 2025.
“How do I look?” Kimi asks with a contact of pleasure. Then he steps onto the stage and, from that second, the actual grind begins.
It’s unlucky, if inevitable given Antonelli’s standing as a rookie together with his F1 journey very a lot forward of him, that most of the questions pertain to the previous occupant of his seat – Lewis Hamilton. It’s a effectively to which his interlocutors return time and again.
“I don’t wish to sound smug,” Kimi says, “however I’d like to write down my very own story. I don’t know what the longer term holds, however I simply wish to comply with my very own path.”
Roberto Chinchero, Motorsport.com Italia with Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Picture by: Mercedes GP Petronas Formulation One Staff
As soon as the media session ends, it is straight to the monitor for a gathering with the engineers to debate the weekend forward. The remainder of the day is equally dictated by enterprise, each sporting and advertising: the obligatory FIA weigh-in, the official photograph of all drivers on the grid (will all of them nonetheless be there at season’s finish?), his first official FIA press convention, a social media session for the crew, an autograph session with followers, a gathering with Australian soccer gamers, one other briefing with engineers below his race engineer Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington, and an occasion with Mercedes Australia representatives.
Although he doesn’t present it, Kimi has been eagerly awaiting his household’s arrival in Melbourne on Thursday – his father Marco, mom Veronica and youthful sister Maggie. They’re staying in a distinct lodge and, every morning, he picks them up himself – having handed his driving check simply six weeks in the past.
“Now that I’ve my driving license, it’s solely truthful,” he says. “They drove me round for years.”
Friday begins early for Kimi: within the gymnasium at 8am together with his efficiency coach, Sergi Avila. This isn’t a feel-the-burn exercise. Like the opposite coaches on the grid, Avila is greater than only a private coach – he acts as driver-whisperer and helps handle stress forward of the massive weekend.
“We all the time begin with mobility workout routines,” Avila explains, “then fast activation and visible workout routines. It additionally helps us assess if sleep high quality was enough.”
In frequent with many different F1 drivers, Antonelli wears a ‘good ring’ which tracks bodily exercise and might provide Avila with varied well being and efficiency metrics, in addition to monitoring sleep cycles.
“Sleep-tracking makes it not possible for drivers to remain up late,” Avila laughs. “We’d know instantly.”
Each side of Antonelli’s lengthy journey from Italy to Melbourne was rigorously deliberate, together with a one-day stopover in Kuala Lumpur. The physique’s pure circadian rhythm – the wake-sleep cycle – strikes however regularly, and is principally guided by daylight.
“It [the stopover] helps Kimi alter to the time zone extra progressively,” Avila says. “We additionally selected in a single day flights to land within the morning.”
Diet is one other essential consider driver well being and efficiency, however Avila sees no points there: “Kimi is fortunate to return from a household that prioritises wholesome consuming.”
Upon arriving on the monitor, Antonelli discovers a novel characteristic of Melbourne. Drivers are among the many few allowed to drive on the inner roads of Albert Park – and, as soon as they attain the reserved parking space, they have to stroll down ‘Melbourne Stroll’, a pathway that has change into a major attraction for followers. Custom dictates that each F1 celeb stops for autographs, photographs and greetings.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Picture by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Photos
“Wow, so many individuals!” Kimi exclaims as he takes within the spectacle of this heaving mass of followers, most of them thrusting out footage and gadgets of merchandise for him to signal. This being Australia, a rustic with a protracted F1 custom, everybody is aware of who he’s regardless of his rookie standing: “Kimi!” they shriek, and the amount solely will increase as he will get nearer.
One fan arms him an outdated karting photograph. “The place did you get this?” he asks, stunned. Others greet him in Italian (“We’re not simply right here for Ferrari!”) or want him a podium end, to which he cautiously responds, “Perhaps! It’ll take time…”
As Kimi walks the trail, Christian Horner overtakes him, seemingly drawing much less consideration than the younger Italian – a truth which is able to most likely trigger him to chafe, given how rigorously he grooms his profile through the likes of Drive to Survive. It’s a very good 20 minutes earlier than Antonelli lastly reaches the paddock gates and swipes by together with his go.
Kimi’s agenda stays packed: greetings, a fast crew assembly, and answering exact technical questions, surrounded by engineers, all with headsets and screens. It’s like a NASA management room however, having been within the Mercedes young-driver set-up for therefore lengthy, Antonelli is fully aware of the atmosphere.
Toto Wolff arrives simply earlier than FP1. “The whole lot okay, Kimi?” A unique feeling is creeping into the air within the storage, because the minutes tick by in direction of the second when vehicles enterprise out onto monitor. Antonelli simply nods – he’s already in ‘race mode’.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Picture by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Photos
The day flies by. After FP2, Antonelli sums up his session: “Our long-run tempo seems strong. I nonetheless must fine-tune my warm-up lap with the smooth tyres.” His mom affectionately ruffles his hair.
“It’s good, however I would like to enhance loads,” he admits. His father provides two observations, and Kimi nods earlier than heading into one other engineering debrief.
“I raced right here final yr in F2,” he says, “however in an F1 automobile it appears like a very completely different circuit. The whole lot modifications – even the tyres are completely completely different from testing.”
Bonnington reassures him: “Good begin.” Nevertheless it’s clear that Antonelli needs extra.
Saturday morning begins with one other spherical of fan interactions on the way in which in, however the actual spotlight for the native crowd comes at 11am: a ‘fan zone’ occasion. A automobile is summoned to whisk Antonelli and Russell to the venue, the place all 20 drivers are because of take turns showing on stage.
Roberto Chinchero, Motorsport.com Italia with Andrea Kimi Antonelli, George Russell, Mercedes
Picture by: Mercedes GP Petronas Formulation One Staff
As they strategy, Kimi does one thing uncommon for an F1 driver. Their automobile’s home windows are tinted, concealing the occupants from prying eyes – however Antonelli rolls his right down to greet the group. “So many individuals! It’s nice to see so many passionate followers, they usually’re largely younger.”
Kimi has introduced Maggie alongside they usually stroll backstage hand in hand, the second captured by the throng of photographers and duly decanted onto social media as a major instance of ‘healthful feels’. On stage, he and Russell obtain a standing ovation.
“Seems like a live performance!” exclaims Maggie.
Ten minutes of questions, a fast recreation with the viewers, some cap-throwing – then again to the paddock for qualifying. As with all different facets of the day, the drivers are on the clock so that they’re ushered again once more by automobile.
The subsequent monitor session serves up probably the most disappointing second of his weekend. After damaging the automobile’s flooring on the Flip 6 kerb, Antonelli fails to advance previous Q1 and the duty forward turns into but tougher.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Picture by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Photos
As his mechanics swarm below the W16 to evaluate the injury to its underfloor, the remainder of the crew rally spherical. “No worries, it occurs – let’s deal with tomorrow,” they reassure him.
Antonelli forces a smile, however his frustration is clear. His P5 tempo in FP3 had recommended a significantly better final result than his ultimate P16 grid spot.
“But when it actually rains tomorrow…” his father feedback prophetically, having scrutinized the forecast.
On Sunday, the ‘ifs’ depart – as predicted, the rain arrives, and it’s heavy sufficient for the Formulation 2 race to be cancelled. There’s merely no room within the monitor schedule to delay, and even to run it after the grand prix, since every thing needs to be packed up for the onward journey to China subsequent weekend.
“Think about the frustration,” Kimi says. “Touring all the way in which to Australia and never racing! For individuals who certified up entrance, that have to be crushing.”
The subsequent query is whether or not the grand prix will likely be equally affected. As race time nears, pressure builds – for Kimi and his dad and mom, and the remainder of the grid. Solely Maggie appears relaxed, occupied together with her coloring pens within the Mercedes hospitality lounge.
Simply when it appears the rain has abated sufficient to get the grand prix below means on time, there’s a 15-minute delay as Isack Hadjar crunches into the limitations on the formation lap. Because the grid lastly will get going once more to take the beginning, Kimi’s mom decides that watching the TV footage is simply too tense: she removes herself to a personal room with only a timing display.
It is a good name – she avoids the panic second when Kimi spins after touching the grass at Flip 3. However from there, he phases a exceptional restoration. Lap after lap, he climbs the order.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Picture by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Photos
Two laps from the end, Toto Wolff calls his dad and mom into the storage. Moments later, the chequered flag confirms Antonelli’s P4 end. Hugs, pats on the again and smiles abound as they rush to parc ferme to fulfill him.
Your complete crew gathers below the rostrum to have fun Russell’s P3 end earlier than Antonelli heads to the ‘pen’ for the obligatory spherical of post-race interviews. “I’ve to say, the questions have been all fairly nice,” he remarks.
Again within the Mercedes hospitality lounge, Wolff is probably the most elated – the person who backed Antonelli’s expertise since his karting days feels vindicated. The quick stroll from the interview space to the crew’s headquarters takes for much longer than it might on some other day, for now everybody stops Kimi for congratulations, handshakes, and high-fives. He smiles, thanks all of them, and appears overwhelmed by the respect he’s earned.
His first phrases upon sitting down say all of it: “Now I can say I’ve erased Monza.”
His first FP1 outing final yr within the Italian Grand Prix weekend had prompted reward and questions in equal measure as he drove with pace and attacking elan… earlier than crashing.
“Oh, and I hope you noticed my go on Albon – not dangerous, huh?” He grins, then glances on the race outcomes. “Effectively… there are some fairly huge names behind me, proper?”
The Antonelli household’s desk is on the hospitality entrance, and well-wishers preserve stopping by. “Tonight? I’ll be sleeping – on the airplane. We depart instantly for Shanghai.”
Whereas his household enjoys a short trip in Australia, Kimi dozes off quickly after takeoff. Simply earlier than switching off, although, he reads one final message from Wolff: “IN FUTURE, STAY AWAY FROM WHITE LINES AND GRASS.”
Kimi chuckles. “Guess he was extra scared than I used to be…”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Picture by: Mercedes-Benz
On this article
Roberto Chinchero
Formulation 1
Andrea Kimi Antonelli
Mercedes
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