Impressed but not surprised, Max Verstappen believes that Kimi Antonelli is following a perfectly logical progression. The Dutchman explains why he already believed in the Italian long before his arrival in Formula 1.
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Leader of the world championship after eleven rounds, Kimi Antonelli is one of the great revelations of the 2026 season. With already six wins to his name and a 50-point lead over Lewis Hamilton, the young Mercedes driver impresses the entire paddock.
But while many are surprised to see him competing for the title in only his second season in Formula 1, this is not the case for Max Verstappen. The four-time world champion says he identified the Italian’s potential since his karting years and was convinced he would quickly reach a new level.
Verstappen spotted his talent as early as karting
Asked about Antonelli’s performances, Verstappen looked back on the Mercedes driver’s beginnings, whose progress he was already following even before his arrival in single-seaters.
“When he was still in karting, you could already see he was one of the greatest talents.”
The Red Bull driver notably believes that moving through gearbox karting categories is an essential step in the training of a future Formula 1 driver.
“As you grow up, you move from junior to senior categories. I have always thought that before moving to cars, a driver should participate in some gearbox karting races to learn how to manage gears, starts, and races.”
According to Verstappen, Antonelli immediately demonstrated that he possessed extraordinary qualities.
“From his first race against the best karting drivers, he was immediately competitive. At that age, you can already distinguish raw talent. Then, this progression simply continued when he moved to single-seaters.”
A logical progression towards the top
After a sometimes difficult first season in Formula 1 in 2025, marked notably by several retirements and some youthful mistakes, Antonelli has completely changed dimension this year.
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For Verstappen, this evolution is anything but surprising.
“He arrived very quickly in Formula 1 and, during a first season, it is normal to make some mistakes. We have all been through that.”
The Dutchman also reminds that immediately racing for a top team exposes young drivers more to criticism.
“When you drive for a leading team, everything is inevitably put more in the spotlight.”
“I never had the slightest doubt”
The current Red Bull driver assures that he expected to see Antonelli take a significant step forward in his second year at the highest level.
“For me, there was never the slightest doubt that he would improve enormously the following year and become much more consistent.”
According to Verstappen, this rise corresponds simply to the natural development of a talented driver.
“It’s a normal progression. A rookie season can be difficult, but today he is doing a remarkable job.”
At only 19 years old, Antonelli thus confirms all the hopes placed in him since his karting years. And receiving such praise from a four-time world champion like Max Verstappen only further strengthens his status as the new phenomenon of Formula 1.
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