Valentino Rossi Speaks Out Bluntly About Kimi Antonelli

Valentino Rossi, a guest on Fabio Fazio’s show *Che Tempo Che Fa*, shared a heartfelt message about Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who won the Formula 1 World Championship at just twenty years old. “The Doctor” has known Kimi for some time and even collaborated with him on the helmet he wore during the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

“Antonelli is a sight to behold. It was thrilling to have an Italian driver win a Formula 1 World Championship after 70 years. It makes us all very lucky—I’ve always struggled with that. In motorcycle racing, many of us are fast, but not in F1, and I’ve always wondered why.”

“Kimi has finally arrived for us fans—he won the world championship at age 20. I’ve been following him for several years: he’s a fun-loving young guy and a fantastic person, as well as a champion.”

The bond between the two has deep roots. Their friendship dates back to some online races they competed in during the COVID-19 pandemic, and since then, Antonelli has never hidden the fact that he draws inspiration from “The Doctor.” In an interview with automoto.it, Kimi described him this way: “Vale is an inspiration to me. He’s a legend of two wheels, but he’s really a down-to-earth person. We have a great relationship. Sometimes, when we can—and with our schedules, of course, it’s not easy—we go karting. I’ve also been to his ranch a couple of times, including to watch the 100 km of Champions.”

Just a few days ago, in an interview with Sky, Rossi had praised the driver from Bologna: “I first heard about Kimi in Migliaro, at the kart track, where he set the track record. That’s when I started following him, and he’s been making a difference ever since his karting days.” The nine-time world champion added that Antonelli “can truly become one of the greatest drivers in history; he can win 4, 5, or 6 world championships if he has the car. He reminds me a bit of myself when I was 20 or 21 years old.”