Kimi Antonelli shares why he thinks he will be even faster than Mercedes rival George Russell one day

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Kimi Antonelli seems to have found his footing in Formula 1 with Mercedes, and the Italian driver has shared why he thinks he will eclipse the talents of George Russell in the future.

The 19-year-old has had a rollercoaster of a maiden season in F1, achieving highs such as the multiple podiums he has claimed throughout the year, whilst also experiencing the lows of costly errors and back-to-back retirements.

After suffering the most challenging period of his season during the European leg, Antonelli credits Toto Wolff for getting him out of his rut. He has since thrived in the seat of the W16, securing back-to-back podiums in the Sprint weekend in Sao Paulo as he looks to end his debut year on a high.

Peter Bonnington’s input has also helped Antonelli, with Sky Sports F1 presenter Simon Lazenby revealing the scolding that the race engineer gave the youngster following his second home Grand Prix of the season at Monza.

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Kimi Antonelli touches upon his relationship with George Russell in a verdict on why he will eclipse his talents

During an interview with Blick, the 19-year-old was asked several questions regarding his relationship with Russell and the dynamic between himself and the Brit within the ranks of the Brackley-based F1 outfit.

Prompted on whether he has a good relationship with the five-time Grand Prix winner, Antonelli replied, “Yes, because he’s very professional. The good atmosphere in the team also helps. In good times and bad.”

Antonelli was then asked if his goal in F1 is to become a driver of the same calibre as Russell, to which he outlined his ultimate goal in the sport by saying, “I don’t just want to reach his level, no. I want to be better than him. At the end of the day, I’m in Formula 1 to be the fastest. Not just in the team!”

Jolyon Palmer previously pointed out how Antonelli’s rookie season in F1 has been difficult due to the fact that he has been paired up with the high-flying Russell.

It’s a sentiment shared by the young Italian, who replied to a question over the belief he has in his goals with, “What a question. I’d be the wrong man for the job, otherwise. Russell is perhaps at the peak of his career right now. That makes my task more difficult at the moment.”

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Kimi Antonelli has beaten George Russell in the last three F1 races across all formats

Antonelli’s emergence at Mercedes has coincided with his ability to finally get the better of Russell over the distance of a full Grand Prix.

Heading into the race weekend in Mexico City, the Italian was yet to take the chequered flag ahead of his Mercedes counterpart, a stat that was declared void after he finished sixth, one place ahead of Russell in seventh.

Antonelli showed that he isn’t just a second driver at Mercedes with the result, and followed it up in the following round of racing in Brazil, where he bested Russell in both the Sprint race and Grand Prix.

With focus beginning to shift to the new era of F1 regulations in 2026, the 19-year-old can take a lot of confidence into the new season, where he can start from the same clean slate as everybody else on the grid and emerge as an equal to his vastly more experienced teammate.