Kimi Antonelli’s father says he’s not yet ‘ready’ to dominate Formula 1

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Kimi Antonelli’s father has tried to play down the growing hype surrounding his son after his four-race win streak.

Antonelli has achieved several Formula 1 firsts on his way to a 43-point championship lead over teammate George Russell. Already, Russell must mount one of the biggest comebacks in recent F1 history to deny him the title.

The Italian could become the first teenage champion the sport has ever seen, demolishing the record set by a 23-year-old Sebastian Vettel in 2010. But there’s an awareness at Mercedes that he’s bound to have a difficult period at some point in the season.

Are Kimi Antonelli’s F1 title chances higher or lower than 70%?

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Kimi Antonelli’s father has always been ‘sceptical’ about his potential

In a candid interview with Formula1.it, Antonelli Sr admitted that Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has always been the biggest believer in his son’s potential. Wolff overlooked established race-winners like Carlos Sainz to sign the youngster when Lewis Hamilton left.

Marco also warned 2025 debutant Kimi that his rivals are far more experienced. Russell arrived in the sport in 2019 and has made over five times the number of starts (157 vs 29).

“Well, I have to say that Toto Wolff perhaps believed more than I did in Kimi’s growth,” he said. “As a father, I’m not too biased, perhaps I’ve always been a little sceptical about my son’s true potential because you’re always afraid he won’t be as strong as he should be.

“So I’m always a very cautious person when giving positive comments or making proclamations.

“True, Kimi is doing well now, even beyond expectations. But I think he still has to grow: in one year of Formula 1 you can’t learn what the other drivers, his rivals, have learned in six, eight or ten years.

• READ MORE: Juan Pablo Montoya explains why Kimi Antonelli’s championship lead is now his ‘biggest problem’

Even though only 15 drivers have ever won four races in a row, Antonelli Sr thinks it’s too early for his son to become the ‘leader’ in F1: “Personally, I think he still has a lot to learn, and I think he can only do that in the next few years. It will take him time, that’s normal. I think he’ll be truly ready in a few years.”

Last year, McLaren driver Oscar Piastri built a 34-point lead with 10 races remaining, but he eventually finished third in the standings after unravelling late in the year. That will be seen as a cautionary tale on Antonelli’s side of the Mercedes garage, given that Piastri was also experiencing his first title fight.