2025 F1 Mid-Season review: Kimi Antonelli

Antonelli with Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff
Photo Credit: Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team
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Mercedes’ long-time protégé and former karting prodigy, Kimi Antonelli, has shown flashes of his natural talent in his rookie season in Formula 1. After a difficult debut in last year’s Monza Grand Prix Free Practice – where he crashed early on – Antonelli has bounced back strongly in the first half of his full F1 season, steadily proving himself to the team and to the paddock. Antonelli currently stands higher than any other rookie drivers in 7th position in the championship standings – 84 points behind his teammate George Russel.

Rookie resilience

In what was a daunting debut for any rookie, Antonelli rose to the occasion and handled the challenges of the Australian Grand Prix with impressive composure and skill. Though the 18-year-old was knocked out in Q1 after sustaining damage from aggressive kerb riding and had to start from P16, Antonelli showcased impressive racecraft by skillfully avoiding incidents and making decisive overtakes. With a well-timed strategy, he fought his way up to finish an impressive fourth place — even recovering from a minor spin mid-race. Notably, Antonelli was the only rookie to finish the weekend without crashing, outperforming even seasoned drivers like Alonso and Sainz.

Building on his qualifying performance in Melbourne, Antonelli secured stronger starting positions for both the China Sprint Race and Grand Prix. Consequently, the young Italian confidently broke into the top 10 in both events, finishing 7th in the Sprint and improving to 6th in the Grand Prix.

Record-breaking moments

In Japan, Antonelli made history by becoming the youngest F1 driver ever to lead a race. The rookie finished an impressive 6th, just behind his teammate. He continued his strong form in Jeddah, overcoming a small mistake in Q3 to secure another valuable 6th-place finish and score additional points.

Antonelli broke more records in Miami – an unfamiliar track for the young pilot. The Mercedes driver stunned the paddock by claiming pole position in the Sprint Qualifying, becoming the youngest pole sitter in F1 history across all formats. Although he was unable to convert this into a Sprint Race victory – dropping three positions on the opening lap and running off track – part of the setback also stemmed from Verstappen’s pit lane incident, which blocked Antonelli’s pit stop and cost him significant time. Despite crossing the line in 10th, post-race penalties elevated him to 7th place. The main Sunday race proved more positive, with Antonelli securing a solid 6th-place finish.

The Canadian GP was certainly Antonelli’s best result. The Mercedes rookie secured his first podium, standing in P3 alongside his teammate in P1.

At just 18 and in his rookie year, Antonelli has already racked up six top 10 finishes, earned a podium, claimed a Sprint pole, and outqualified his teammate twice – an impressive start to what promises to be a remarkable career.

Trials and tribulations

Nevertheless, challenges emerged for Antonelli in Monaco. After crashing in qualifying, the rookie was forced to start in 15th position and ultimately finished last among the classified runners on race day, marking a frustrating weekend. Earlier in Bahrain, despite an impressive qualifying effort that saw him start fifth, Antonelli pushed his soft tyres too aggressively. Combined with a flawed team strategy, his race at Sakhir ended up being a disappointing one, with a P11 finish. Still, the rookie showcased his fearless racing spirit with daring overtakes on top drivers like Verstappen and Sainz, hinting at his potential even in tough circumstances.

DNF woes and incidents

The Italian driver has faced four DNFs in the first half of the 2025 F1 season. In his home race of Imola, unwanted extra attention and pressure contributed to Antonelli’s disappointing qualifying in P13. Bad luck and mechanical issues sealed his fate in the race as his car broke down. The bad luck Antonelli faced in Italy carried over to Spain, where his engine failed again during the race despite a solid P6 qualifying performance.

In Austria, Antonelli’s bold move and consequent lock-up on the opening cost him, and Max Verstappen dearly. Both drivers retired from the race following a collision at turn 3. Antonelli subsequently received a three-place grid penalty for the incident. Antonelli’s British GP was cut short following contact with fellow rookie Isack Hadjar. Additionally, the Italian driver faced challenges adapting to the wet track conditions throughout the race.

A season of growth and promise

Questions naturally arise about Antonelli’s first half of his rookie season: Is he struggling with consistency or is he truly the prodigy Toto Wolff believes him to be?
Arguably, the Italian has had an impressive debut campaign. While his eagerness occasionally leads to mistakes, he stands as the highest-ranked rookie in the championship. His well-earned seventh place in the standings reflects not only his raw talent but also his clever racecraft, which has helped him overcome occasional inconsistencies in performance. Amid speculation about potential driver changes at Mercedes, the Italian rookie has continued to impress with steady growth and encouraging performances in his debut full F1 season.