F1's youngest champion Antonelli hailed by paddock greats
MEXICO CITY: Kimi Antonelli sparked affectionate tributes from all quarters of the Formula One paddock on Sunday after becoming the sport’s youngest world champion at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Kimi Antonelli, Formula One's youngest world champion at the age of 20, was honored by his peers following his victory at the Mexico City Grand Prix. Antonelli finished third for Mercedes behind four-time champion Max Verstappen and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, who lifted him onto the podium. Team engineer Peter Bono Bonnington praised Antonelli as a generational talent and described his pranks as part of what made him special.
The young Italian echoed the sentiment of being "truly incredible" to share the podium with Verstappen and Hamilton, looking forward to future battles with them. His father Marco Antonelli, who runs his own racing team, expressed gratitude for Mercedes's belief in him, calling it the best thank you for their support. Both Verstappen and Hamilton congratulated Antonelli, with Verstappen praising the season he had and Hamilton expressing gratitude for witnessing the celebration.
Lando Norris of McLaren called Antonelli's season "insane," acknowledging his impressive performance at such a young age. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff had brought Antonelli to the team at age 11 after Ferrari turned him down, describing the young driver as a catalyst for changing the team's atmosphere.
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Also reported by 1 other outlet
- Antonelli can be one of the greats and has nothing to prove, says Wolff channelnewsasia.com
