Inside Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s F1 debut

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: a bit of over 24 hours stay till his first race-weekend observe 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 at the moment?” 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 sporting the crew gear Mercedes has chosen for race weekends in 2025.

“How do I look?” Kimi asks with a contact of delight. Then he steps onto the stage and, from that second, the true grind begins.

It’s unlucky, if inevitable given Antonelli’s standing as a rookie along 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 nicely to which his interlocutors return time and again.

“I don’t need to sound smug,” Kimi says, “however I’d like to write down my very own story. I don’t know what the long run holds, however I simply need to observe my very own path.”

As soon as the media session ends, it is straight to the observe 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 picture 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 underneath 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 unique resort and, every morning, he picks them up himself – having handed his driving take a look at 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 health club at 8am along 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 ample.”

In widespread with many different F1 drivers, Antonelli wears a ‘sensible ring’ which tracks bodily exercise and may provide Avila with varied well being and efficiency metrics, in addition to monitoring sleep cycles.

“Sleep-tracking makes it unimaginable for drivers to remain up late,” Avila laughs. “We’d know instantly.”

Each side of Antonelli’s lengthy journey from Italy to Melbourne was fastidiously deliberate, together with a one-day stopover in Kuala Lumpur. The physique’s pure circadian rhythm – the wake-sleep cycle – strikes however step by step, and is principally guided by daylight.

“It [the stopover] helps Kimi modify 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 think about driver well being and efficiency, however Avila sees no points there: “Kimi is fortunate to come back from a household that prioritises wholesome consuming.”

Upon arriving on the observe, Antonelli discovers a novel function of Melbourne. Drivers are among the many few allowed to drive on the interior 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 movie star stops for autographs, images and greetings.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Photograph by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Pictures

“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 quantity solely will increase as he will get nearer.

One fan fingers him an outdated karting picture. “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 can most likely trigger him to chafe, given how fastidiously he grooms his profile by way of the likes of Drive to Survive. It’s an excellent 20 minutes earlier than Antonelli lastly reaches the paddock gates and swipes by way of along with his move.

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 thus lengthy, Antonelli is fully aware of the surroundings.

Toto Wolff arrives simply earlier than FP1. “All the pieces 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 observe. Antonelli simply nods – he’s already in ‘race mode’.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Photograph by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Pictures

The day flies by. After FP2, Antonelli sums up his session: “Our long-run tempo appears to be like stable. I nonetheless must fine-tune my warm-up lap with the delicate tyres.” His mom affectionately ruffles his hair.

“It’s good, however I would like to enhance lots,” he admits. His father provides two observations, and Kimi nods earlier than heading into one other engineering debrief.

“I raced right here final 12 months in F2,” he says, “however in an F1 automotive it looks like a totally completely different circuit. All the pieces modifications – even the tyres are completely completely different from testing.”

Bonnington reassures him: “Good begin.” However it’s clear that Antonelli needs extra.

Saturday morning begins with one other spherical of fan interactions on the best way in, however the true spotlight for the native crowd comes at 11am: a ‘fan zone’ occasion. A automotive is summoned to whisk Antonelli and Russell to the venue, the place all 20 drivers are attributable to take turns showing on stage.

Roberto Chinchero, Motorsport.com Italia with Andrea Kimi Antonelli, George Russell, Mercedes

Photograph by: Mercedes GP Petronas Formulation One Staff

As they method, Kimi does one thing uncommon for an F1 driver. Their automotive’s home windows are tinted, concealing the occupants from prying eyes – however Antonelli rolls his right down to greet the gang. “So many individuals! It’s nice to see so many passionate followers, they usually’re principally 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.

“Appears 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 elements of the day, the drivers are on the clock in order that they’re ushered again once more by automotive.

The following observe session serves up probably the most disappointing second of his weekend. After damaging the automotive’s ground on the Flip 6 kerb, Antonelli fails to advance previous Q1 and the duty forward turns into but harder.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Photograph by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Pictures

As his mechanics swarm underneath the W16 to evaluate the harm to its underfloor, the remainder of the crew rally spherical. “No worries, it occurs – let’s give attention to tomorrow,” they reassure him.

Antonelli forces a smile, however his frustration is apparent. His P5 tempo in FP3 had recommended a a lot better consequence 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 observe schedule to delay, and even to run it after the grand prix, since every thing must be packed up for the onward journey to China subsequent weekend.

“Think about the frustration,” Kimi says. “Touring all the best way to Australia and never racing! For individuals who certified up entrance, that have to be crushing.”

The following query is whether or not the grand prix will likely be equally affected. As race time nears, rigidity builds – for Kimi and his mother and father, 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 underneath 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 demanding: she removes herself to a non-public room with only a timing display screen.

It is a good name – she avoids the panic second when Kimi spins after touching the grass at Flip 3. However from there, he levels a outstanding restoration. Lap after lap, he climbs the order.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Photograph by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Pictures

Two laps from the end, Toto Wolff calls his mother and father 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.

All the crew gathers underneath 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 will on every 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 12 months within the Italian Grand Prix weekend had prompted reward and questions in equal measure as he drove with velocity and attacking elan… earlier than crashing.

“Oh, and I hope you noticed my move on Albon – not unhealthy, huh?” He grins, then glances on the race outcomes. “Nicely… there are some fairly large names behind me, proper?”

The Antonelli household’s desk is on the hospitality entrance, and well-wishers maintain stopping by. “Tonight? I’ll be sleeping – on the aircraft. We depart instantly for Shanghai.”

Whereas his household enjoys a quick 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

Photograph by: Mercedes-Benz