After every Formula 1 race, driver Jeroen Bleekemolen shares his findings in an exclusive column for Formule1.nl. Who or what caught his attention, what went well, and what needs to change? This time: Kimi Antonelli, often talked about, but this weekend again surpassing himself. How is that possible?
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Just when you think it couldn’t get any better, you get this. And I’m talking about Kimi Antonelli. I’ve been a fan of his for a while, everyone knows that. I actually was even before this season started. But what he’s showing now? I don’t think anyone expected that. Certainly not George Russell.
What is his secret? Good question. The bizarre thing is that Antonelli hardly makes any mistakes. Lap after lap he performs, delivers, and does what he has to do. That might be the most impressive thing. He doesn’t do it once, but weekend after weekend.
Of course, his qualifying speed is impressive. But especially in the races, I find him incredibly strong at the moment. He just drives at a level throughout the entire race that makes you think: this is not normal.
You saw that during the Italian Grand Prix as well. At one point, Mercedes started calculating. The team told him he had to drive at least 1:24.5 to still win. And what does Antonelli do? He immediately drives 1:24.5. Then he only gets faster: 1:24.3, 1:24.1. He just keeps delivering. It’s truly unprecedented.
That’s exactly what makes him so special. It’s not just speed. It’s the combination of speed, consistency, and the ability to do exactly what’s needed under pressure.
Level Max Verstappen
We’re actually talking about a level we’ve only seen in one person over the past years: indeed, Max Verstappen. You see something in Antonelli that makes you think: this is a guy from that category. Schumacher, Senna, Verstappen… And Antonelli is still so young.
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He had a bit of a dip last year, but he’s come through it. Antonelli had to prove himself immediately at Mercedes. And yet he delivered. Maybe that’s the biggest compliment you can give him.
And now he has dealt another huge blow to the competition. We’ve said several times this season that he delivered a kind of knockout punch, but this was another one of magnitude. You have to be honest: he now holds that title with both hands.
And he does this again in Monza, in his home country. For the first time in sixty years, an Italian wins the Italian GP. That only makes the story more beautiful. Because yes, of course, all those Italians are Ferrari fans. That’s deeply rooted in the culture. The whole country turns red as soon as Formula 1 arrives. But Antonelli is becoming something special. Even when he’s not driving for Ferrari, they cheer for him.
That might be the most beautiful part of this story. For me, Antonelli has long been a hero. But for the Italians, he’s becoming a hero of a whole different order. Who knows, maybe he’ll drive for Ferrari one day. And if that doesn’t happen, maybe in a few years thousands of Italians will be standing along the track in Mercedes colors cheering for him.
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