Fernando Alonso: Praise but also a few jabs at Kimi Antonelli

At a press conference in Barcelona, Fernando Alonso commented on Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s incredible start to the season. Antonelli leads the World Championship by 66 points over the second-place driver after five consecutive victories, all achieved at just 19 years old. The Spanish veteran praised the Italian but at the same time cautioned against getting carried away.

“Compared to my days, we now have simulators and various tools that help drivers make the transition to Formula 1. Kimi has incredible talent, but in the junior series he had his ups and downs; other drivers of his generation managed to stay ahead of him in the same cars, such as Oliver Bearman,” explained the Asturian.

According to Alonso, the Mercedes car therefore plays a very important role: “He has a dominant car, he has adapted well to it, and he’s winning races without making mistakes, despite the pressure of leading the championship. If he’s able to handle that pressure and win the World Championship, I’ll be very happy for him. So far he’s doing very well, but this is F1 and you always have to prove yourself at the highest level.”

The Antonelli phenomenon has now transcended the boundaries of Formula 1 to become a global media sensation. The American magazine Time has included him among the 100 most influential figures in contemporary sports worldwide, describing him as the “19-year-old Italian prodigy” who has left “his schoolwork in the rearview mirror.” In Italy, meanwhile, the so-called “Kimi-mania” continues to grow: his number of Instagram followers has risen from 4.5 million in January to the current 7 million, making him the most-followed driver of his generation and surpassing in popularity champions of the caliber of Gianluigi Donnarumma, Pecco Bagnaia, and Jannik Sinner.