Max Verstappen stated that he never doubted Kimi Antonelli’s ability to quickly evolve in Formula 1. The four-time world champion highlighted that the Italian’s talent was already evident since his Karting days.
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Leader of the championship before the August break, Antonelli opened a 50-point lead over Lewis Hamilton and 59 over his teammate, George Russell. For Verstappen, this current performance is a consequence of an evolution that could already be perceived before the young driver arrived in the category.
The Dutchman recalled that Antonelli stood out even in the junior categories and also praised his experience in a Kart category with gears: “When he was still in Karting, it was already possible to see that he was one of the standout talents. Then, of course, you evolve from the junior categories to the higher categories,” said Verstappen.
According to the Red Bull Racing driver, adapting to F1 naturally involves mistakes, especially when a competitor arrives directly at a top team: “It’s normal that in the first year you make some mistakes. I think we all do. When you are racing for a top team, that always gets a bit more attention,” he said.
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Verstappen revealed that he expected precisely an evolution from Antonelli in his second season: “For me, there was never any doubt that he would take a leap the following year and would already be much more consistent and competitive. That is normal in a driver’s development. The debut season can be quite difficult, but now, of course, he is doing an incredible job,” he added.
Verstappen himself went through a similar process when he arrived in F1 as a teenager, at seventeen years old. He explained that his first years in the category served to learn aspects that would normally be developed in the lower categories, including understanding the car and setup needs: “I probably had that learning curve in Formula 1 in my first two seasons,” concluded the Dutchman.
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