Kimi Antonelli’s first victory in Formula 1 provoked an impressive reaction inside and outside the category’s paddock. The young driver revealed that he received more than a thousand messages of congratulations after achieving his first triumph at the Chinese GP.
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The nineteen-year-old Italian is experiencing a meteoric start in the category and, since then, has also achieved victory at the Japanese GP, in addition to becoming the youngest driver in history to lead the world championship. Even with the immediate success, Antonelli admitted that it took some time to understand the scale of the moment.
“Yes, now, but it took a while,” said the Mercedes driver when asked if he had already assimilated the achievement. “It was the best day of my life so far, because I’ve worked for this moment since I started in Karting as a child. Finally achieving this was an incredible feeling. I’ve never felt anything like it before,” he stated.
The achievement in Shanghai ended up becoming an important milestone in his career, not only for the results but also for the impact it had. The youngster highlighted that the number of messages received showed the impact of the feat, both within Formula 1 and in the sporting scene in general.
Commenting on the impact of the victory, Antonelli revealed the scale of the moment: “Many messages! I received more than 1000 messages on my phone,” stated the Italian, highlighting the large number of congratulations after the victory.
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Among the messages, some had an even more special meaning for the young driver. Antonelli highlighted the contact from one of his greatest inspirations in the sport: “My idol Valentino Rossi (multi-champion Italian in MotoGP) wrote to me. That was definitely special,” he added.
Antonelli also revealed that he received a message from tennis player Jannik Sinner, which went beyond a simple private congratulation: “Jannik Sinner also sent me a very nice message and even dedicated his speech after the Indian Wells final to my victory. That was really incredible,” the Mercedes driver concluded.
With two victories already achieved and the championship lead at the moment, Antonelli is experiencing a remarkable start to his journey in Formula 1 in his second year in the category. The impact of his first victory, however, remains an unforgettable moment, both for the result on the track and for the recognition received from big names in the sport.
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