Emerson Fittipaldi is adamant about Kimi Antonelli
Two-time world champion Emerson Fittipaldi spoke about Andrea Kimi Antonelli in an interview with F1.com. Antonelli leads the Formula 1 world championship at the halfway point of the season with a 50-point lead over Lewis Hamilton and a 59-point lead over George Russell. The rising star at Mercedes has left his teammate in the dust, winning a remarkable six Grand Prix races at the age of 19.
“Kimi Antonelli is doing a fantastic job and is showing his full potential. I’ve known him since he was racing karts, many, many years ago. I know his father, Marco, very well, and I know the whole family well. Marco even coached my son Emmo in Formula 4. They’re a great Italian family from Bologna: good people who love racing,” Fittipaldi told F1.com.
“Kimi is only 19 years old and can win the championship. He’s putting enormous pressure on George Russell, though I don’t think it’s over yet. If George can handle the pressure positively, as he’s proven time and again that he can, I think it’ll be very exciting for the fans. It’s going to be a real battle for the rest of the championship.”
It’s not just Fittipaldi singing the praises of the driver from Bologna. Max Verstappen, interviewed by Sky Sports, also had words of great admiration for the young Mercedes driver: “I think that, if we look at the front of the field, Kimi has done a really great job. Really strong, really solid—the strongest on the team. It’s great to see him. First and foremost, he’s a good person and a very strong driver, so it’s a great combination. He’s also had some bad luck in a few Grand Prix races, but he didn’t let it get him down and has been rock-solid so far.”
Among his six victories, some true gems stand out, such as the Grand Slam in Monaco—pole position, fastest lap, and a start-to-finish victory—and his triumph at Spa-Francorchamps, which made him the first Italian to win at the Belgian circuit since Alberto Ascari in 1953. These achievements, however, don’t seem to have clouded his judgment: “I think I still have a long way to go before I reach the level of Max and Norris. So, I think I’m doing a great job and I’ve had a good first half of the season, but there’s still a long way to go to get to their level,” the driver said with a humility that’s surprising for his age.
