Andrea Kimi Antonelli. One of the six rookies currently on the grid, and the youngest at just 19 years old. Antonelli is also having the best rookie season in F1 history since Lewis Hamilton in 2007. Last year, after Hamilton announced his move to Scuderia Ferrari, Kimi’s name immediately surfaced as a potential replacement.

Now, while replacing arguably the greatest of all time at such a young age is incredibly difficult for anyone, Antonelli has always been a suitable replacement. He made his single-seater debut in F4 in 2021, winning the Italian F4 Championship and the Formula 4 UAE Championship. He quickly climbed the motorsport ranks, eventually landing in F2 with PREMA Racing, where he only spent a year before taking a seat in Formula One with Mercedes-AMG. While he has been astonishing, not many expected this level of performance. Today, we’re going to look at what makes him such an amazing driver.

Racecraft

One thing that Antonelli has at such a young age is an already developed racecraft. Watching him on the track, he finds a balanced approach to being aggressive but also toeing the line and not being reckless. He will go for a gap and push his car to the absolute limits, yet he takes a calm approach and does not mess up his own race. His late braking, early turn-in philosophy, similar to that of Max Verstappen. It sets him up to carry as much speed out of the corner and have a straightaway shot and the best chance to make an overtake.

Adaptibility

When looking at what makes Antonelli so good, you can’t ignore how he can adapt depending on the circumstances. Whether it is wet weather conditions or all the cards are stacked against him. For example, in Vegas, a 5-second time penalty and having to stretch out his hard tires all the way to the end after pitting on Lap 2. The risky strategy call, mixed in with his relentlessness for success, and Antonelli went from starting P17 to crossing the finish line P3 after both McLarens were disqualified. Under different conditions, he adapts, setting himself up for success.

An example of Kimi making ground in the rain is the Formula 2 2024 British GP. At Silverstone, under a severely wet course, he dominated the sprint in a race where many ended up needing to retire from the race; Antonelli remained composed.

Historical rookie season

The points system is much different now than it was back in 2007, and there are many more races. However, that doesn’t change the fact that Kimi Antonelli broke Lewis Hamilton’s record of points in a rookie season. After his podium at the São Paulo Grand Prix, Antonelli surpassed Hamilton’s record of 109 points. Now, unlike Hamilton, Antonelli is not in the title fight as a rookie, but he is proving that one day he very much can be. P7 in the World Drivers Championship, 15 points behind Hamilton.

At the age of 19, it is clear to say, Kimi Antonelli will be a star for years to come at the highest level of motorsport, and that one day he may very well be a world champion.