16/06/2025 11:05
Kimi Antonelli has revealed how he responded to the intense
pressure applied by Oscar Piastri late in the Canadian Grand Prix,
as he struggled to hold on to a maiden podium. The young Italian
was ultimately successful in that endeavour, in no small part due
to Lando Norris crashing into the back of his McLaren team-mate,
which meant the race at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve finished
under safety car conditions. Having started fourth, Antonelli beat
Piastri in the run down to Turn 3 on the opening lap. However, as
the grand prix drew to a close, the 18-year-old feared he had
pushed too hard during his final stint. It left him counting down
the laps on the steering wheel of his Mercedes W16, praying the
race would end. "I was just hoping for the race to finish, to be
honest," Antonelli told media including RacingNews365 . "I was even
looking at the screen counting the laps because it was very
stressful. "In the last stint, I pushed a bit too hard behind Max
and eventually degraded the front left. The last few laps were a
struggle, especially seeing Oscar getting closer and closer in the
DRS range. "At one point, he even tried to attempt the overtake in
turn one. It took a lot of effort." Momentous occasion Antonelli's
achievement in Montreal has made him the third-youngest podium
finisher in F1 history, behind Max Verstappen, who finished second,
and home hero Lance Stroll. It was also the first time since 2009
an Italian driver has reached the rostrum, when Jarno Trulli
finished second for Toyota in the Japanese Grand Prix that year.
With Italy being a proud, motorsport-loving nation, Antonelli
recognised the magnitude of his accomplishment, whilst setting his
sights on his next target. "It's obviously a great feeling to be
the next Italian on the podium after such a long time," he said.
"Now the next goal is to win, to bring Italy back on top. "This
result was needed. It's also for all the Italian Tifosi out there.
Imola was an incredible weekend for me in terms of support. It
didn't go as well as I wanted, but seeing so much support already
early on is great. So, this result is also for them."
