Jolyon Palmer tells Kimi Antonelli why he can’t compare his rookie F1 season to Oscar Piastri

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Andrea Kimi Antonelli is currently the highest-placed driver in the F1 standings from the 2025 rookie class and has been on a bit of a rollercoaster ride so far this season with Mercedes.

Kimi Antonelli‘s third-place finish in Montreal brought home the first of probably many podiums that the 18-year-old will achieve in his F1 career, but his debut season has also come with four early retirements, all of which have come in the last six Grands Prix.

Not all of those DNFs were the young Italian’s fault, but his inexperience has shown in certain situations, such as his lap one crash in Austria, which also took Max Verstappen out of the race.

Much has been said about Antonelli’s future at the German team, with it being speculated that Mercedes could pull off the signing of Verstappen in time for next season. Jenson Button has toyed with the idea that Antonelli could then find himself at Red Bull.

It has also been reported that they could look into a loan deal for Antonelli if they do acquire the Dutchman, something that Mercedes has been warned could destroy their relationship with the Italian in the process.

READ MORE: Know all about 2025 Mercedes F1 driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli including stats

Kimi Antonelli battling against George Russell in a Mercedes isn’t an ‘easy benchmark’

Speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer told his co-host, “When Oscar came into Formula 1, he qualified just over 2 tenths down on Lando. I remember being a little bit surprised at how Oscar was struggling to get on terms with Lando.

“Bearing in mind, this was the absolute prodigy that McLaren had snatched away from Alpine. For an 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli, you’ve got to remember you’re up against George Russell. You’re up against a guy that could be a champion in the right car, who’s just come off the back of beating Lewis Hamilton.

“So it’s not going to be an easy benchmark, and I think he’s just over 3 tenths away on quali pace at the moment. So he’s a bit further away from Oscar, but he was rushed through Formula 2 so quickly. 

“I think we all maybe hoped for a little bit more from this outstanding talent, but he’s not been poor and he’s shown glimpses of real talent. I think that’s the main thing.”

READ MORE: All you need to know about Mercedes F1 Team from team principal to lineage

How has Kimi Antonelli fared in his rookie season so far?

Antonelli currently sits in seventh place in the drivers’ standings this season, with the podium at the Canadian Grand Prix being his highest points haul in the 2025 campaign.

He has scored points in eight separate races this season, accounting for two of the Sprint races in which he came home in seventh both times. A pole position at the Sprint in Miami is also a highlight for the youngster.

However, compared to his teammate, George Russell, he seems to be letting the side down in the points department, which has allowed the Ferraris of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to take third place in the constructors’ standings despite Russell being ahead of both of them in the drivers’ championship.

As Palmer alluded to, the 18-year-old deserves a bit of patience in his rookie F1 season due to the big step up that F1 is compared to the Formula 2 feeder series. Through the glimpses he has already shown in Formula 1 machinery.

Antonelli has previously stated that he struggles with parts of the mental side of being an F1 driver. The Italian recently wished he could talk to his idol, Ayrton Senna, about how to deal with feeling ‘scared’ after crashing.