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James Vowles spoke about his experience in recruiting Kimi Antonelli to Mercedes when he was just 11 years old.
Kimi Antonelli is proving to be the next great sensation in Formula 1, having gotten off to a sensational start this season.
The Mercedes driver is currently the youngest championship leader in Formula 1 history, and will be starting on pole yet again later today at the Miami Grand Prix.
Antonelli is off to a legendary start in 2026 🔥 Where will he cement himself amongst the sports icons?
He joins Senna and Schumacher as the only F1 drivers to secure their first three poles consecutively
Antonelli fended off Verstappen to secure pole, managing to beat another generational driver as he looks to win the world championship.
For many, Antonelli’s rise to prominence has been a surprise. But for James Vowles, it is just further confirmation of what he saw from the young Italian when he recruited him to Mercedes.
READ MORE: Jolyon Palmer thinks Kimi Antonelli’s Miami GP data shows Mercedes copied McLaren’s deployment trick
James Vowles shares what he saw from Kimi Antonelli at age 11 that led to Mercedes signing
Speaking at an event conducted by Axios and The Race ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, Williams team principal James Vowles was asked about Kimi Antonelli’s ascent to F1 superstardom.
Vowles reflected on signing Antonelli at just 11 years of age and how he saw a winning quality in him even back then. But his dominance at every level since then has amazed him, noting that he expects the young Italian to thrive in Formula 1.
“We found Kimi when he was 11. That’s when we signed him. To be completely clear, in Williams, I thought I’d beat that… It seems unbelievable that you are signing people at that young age.
“But with Kimi, there was already a sparkle with him. He was extraordinary. Every junior series he went through, not just did he win, he dominated.
“And that’s unusual in that regard. It takes time, like in any elite sport, for you to find all the details behind it.
“But the mere fact that he’s even trading blows with George at the moment, that’s the sign you’re looking for.”
READ MORE: F1 fans accuse Kimi Antonelli of driving like a ‘rookie’ as Charles Leclerc ‘exposed’ him in Miami
Kimi Antonelli delivers when it counts 👏 But Verstappen right behind him? This isn’t over yet 👀
Read the full report from Miami Qualifying below 👇
James Vowles not willing to predict Kimi Antonelli and George Russell battle
Speaking further during the event, Vowles noted that he wasn’t going to weigh in on who between Antonelli and George Russell would emerge victorious in their battle.
“I’m not going to predict it one way or the other. I just think it’s going to be fireworks at some point in this year, and I’m going to step back and watch.”
After securing P5 while Antonelli earned pole position, some feel that Russell has given up on this battle already.
Russell will not be happy about losing to Antonelli yet again and will try to come back stronger during the race on Sunday to prove that he is still a contender for the world championship.
But for an experienced driver like Russell, getting outperformed by your young teammate is surely a devastating blow to morale.
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