From Autosport · Roberto Chinchero · · 1m 40s
The Antonelli you don't know: Inside the Mercedes garage with F1's new world champion
Mercedes F1 driver Kimi Antonelli's playful antics and deep team bonds lead to his world championship win.
In brief
Mercedes F1 driver Kimi Antonelli's playful antics and deep team bonds lead to his world championship win. Kimi Antonelli, 20, became F1's youngest world champion through trust with his Mercedes garage crew after early crashes and family challenges. Originally reported by Autosport.
Kimi's playful habit
Kimi Antonelli, 20, pinches crew members' nipples before qualifying.
“He grabs everyone, pinches people's nipples, slaps them all over and generally causes chaos”
Team trust built through jokes
Antonelli's mechanics say he creates a relaxed garage atmosphere with laughter.
“With Kimi, you feel completely comfortable. There's no awkwardness, no tension when you speak to him”
Whipped cream tradition
Antonelli celebrates colleagues' birthdays with whipped cream face coverings.
“Kimi started this thing with whipped cream in people's faces”
Early crashes and lessons
Antonelli crashed twice in 2024, damaging chassis at Abu Dhabi and Monza.
“At Abu Dhabi, he crashed and damaged the chassis. Luckily, we'd brought a spare one”
Family support during crashes
Antonelli's father Marco rushed to help after crashes, causing family tension.
“Marco was on the other side of the track. When Kimi crashed, he immediately set off to get to him”
Apologies and growth
Antonelli apologized for car damage after crashes, showing emotional maturity.
“He kept apologising for the damage to the car and for all the work we'd caused”
Quick team integration
Antonelli learned all mechanics' names within two days of joining.
“After a couple of days, he already knew everyone's name”
Melbourne car repair
Mechanics fixed Antonelli's car after FP3 damage for qualifying.
“I've no idea how you managed to get my car back on track”
Monza victory
Antonelli won from 19th on the grid at Monza.
“He fought his way to victory from 19th on the grid”
Austin victory
Antonelli converted pole position to win at Austin with maturity.
“He converted an unexpected pole position into a victory delivered with remarkable maturity”
Championship win
Antonelli became F1's youngest world champion at Mexico City.
“It was not simply the joy of a team celebrating a world championship”
Family dynamics
Antonelli's family shows affectionate support for his racing career.
“You can be working away and suddenly someone comes up and gives you a hug from behind”
Team trust
Mechanics feel personally invested in Antonelli's success.
“When Kimi has a bad day, we feel bad too”
Growth over time
Antonelli grew from teenager to world champion while maintaining team bonds.
“It's incredible to think how much he's grown in such a short space of time”
World champion
Antonelli is F1's youngest world champion at 20 years old.
“He's the youngest world champion”
The takeaway
Kimi Antonelli, 20, became F1's youngest world champion through trust with his Mercedes garage crew after early crashes and family challenges.
