Max Verstappen may be fighting through one of the most frustrating campaigns of his Formula 1 career, but the four-time world champion has found plenty to admire in the young driver currently leading the title race.
Fresh from finishing second at the Hungarian Grand Prix, Verstappen used the final media session before Formula 1’s summer break to salute Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s remarkable rise with Mercedes.
The 19-year-old Italian has been the story of the season. A breakthrough victory in China was followed by five consecutive wins, and Antonelli became the youngest driver ever to lead the Formula 1 world championship.
Despite a retirement in Barcelona and another reliability setback at Silverstone, he still holds a commanding 50-point lead in the Drivers’ standings over Lewis Hamilton.
Verstappen, by contrast, enters the sport’s summer hiatus in sixth place in the championship, 110 points adrift.
Verstappen’s glowing verdict
Asked which driver had impressed him most in the opening half of the year, Verstappen pointed immediately to Antonelli.
“I think, if you look at the front, Kimi has done a really good job,” the Red Bull driver said. “Really strong, really solid, being the strongest in the team.
“I think, if he just keeps it going – of course, he’s also been very unlucky sometimes, so that’s been a bit of a shame – but as a 19-year-old, so far, I think he’s been rock solid. That’s really impressive to see as an outsider.”
The praise carried extra weight coming from Verstappen, who knows better than most the pressure of carrying title expectations at a young age.
‘A nice guy and a very strong driver’
Verstappen also spoke warmly about Antonelli’s character, suggesting that the Italian’s personality is helping him handle the spotlight.
“But, yeah, overall, a very strong performance [from Antonelli]. It’s nice to see. He’s, first of all, a nice guy and a very strong driver, so that’s a good combination,” he said.
The Dutchman admitted his own season has been far less straightforward.
“For me, it’s definitely been a bit of a jungle this year, but I’m just trying to enjoy it where I can. Of course, when the car is a bit nicer to drive, you can enjoy it a little bit more,” he said.
While Verstappen was generous in his praise for Antonelli, he made it clear that Red Bull’s focus during the shutdown will be on recovering lost performance before the championship resumes.
“We need to first find more overall performance,” he explained. “Then we need to fix our problems, where we sometimes just lose performance over a weekend, or even from the start of the race to the end. So, yeah, that is also actually a big priority.”
For now, though, the loudest applause from Formula 1’s biggest star is directed at the teenager leading the championship – a driver Verstappen believes has already shown the poise, speed and consistency of a future champion.
Read also:
'Too early to say': Wolff warns Antonelli’s title lead is far from secureKeep up to date with all the F1 news via X and Facebook
Verstappen praises ‘nice guy’ Antonelli amid ‘rock solid’ F1 season F1i.com.
Hence then, the article about verstappen praises nice guy antonelli amid rock solid f1 season was published today ( ) and is available on F1 News ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Verstappen praises ‘nice guy’ Antonelli amid ‘rock solid’ F1 season )
Also on site :
- World Cup boycott latest: Infantino refuses to back down after Uefa say they’ll refuse to play in Fifa tournaments
- Emma Finucane powers Wales to gold in British show of force in Commonwealth Games team sprint
- Justin Herbert reveals exclusive details of proposal to Madison Beer as teammates react to engagement