Mercedes Formula 1 driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli has opened up about how Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen treat him differently this year, as the 19-year-old driver leads the drivers’ standings. The statement arrives amid Mercedes’ dominance, which has helped Kimi Antonelli win two of the first three grands prix.
After an impressive debut season in 2025, Antonelli has gone on to become the youngest driver in F1 history to win a race and the youngest ever to lead the championship after his victories at the 2026 Chinese and Japanese Grans Prix.
As a team, Mercedes has won all three races thus far, as Kimi Antonelli’s teammate, George Russell, won the opening round in Australia. Being in the limelight after his recent win at the Suzuka Circuit, Kimi Antonelli has noticed many changes this season as rivals look at him as a serious championship contender, whereas last year, he was perceived as an 18-year-old driver who had just entered the premier class of motorsports.
In an interview with BILD, Kimi Antonelli revealed how multi-world championship winners like Hamilton and Verstappen have changed the way they interact with him this season, which is a stark difference from the previous year. When asked if he shares a good relationship with them, the Mercedes driver said:
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“Last year they were very open and helped me. But now they’ve stopped.”
Verstappen’s own problems at Red Bull could have held him back from offering advice, as his team struggles to find pace on his RB22 F1 car.
“My Victory Showed That I Can Beat Anyone”
Hamilton, however, did give him some great advice to be fast. Kimi Antonelli said:
“The idea that I should always be myself and enjoy what I do in order to be fast. The pressure in this environment is so great that it’s easy to forget that.”
When asked if he had what it takes to be a world champion, despite limited experience in F1, Kimi Antonelli said:
“Experience is my biggest weakness compared to drivers like George (my teammate Russell), no question. You can’t buy that. But I’m confident that I’d still have a chance if the opportunity arose. I’ve been working towards this for many years, and my victory showed that I can beat anyone if I perform to my potential. But to do that, I need to get the basics right. My team and I constantly remind ourselves of that.”
