Verstappen jokes about what Antonelli had at 20 that he lacked

At 20, Kimi Antonelli became Formula 1’s youngest-ever world champion after the Mexico Grand Prix. Shortly before Antonelli secured the title, Max Verstappen was asked what the Italian had at that age that Verstappen himself lacked. “Well, he speaks Italian…” Verstappen joked.

Verstappen said the two situations could not be compared: he started in Formula 1 at 17 and spent years without a car capable of challenging for the championship. After starting at Toro Rosso, his first years at Red Bull were especially difficult because of the underperforming Renault engine. He could fight for individual race wins, but did not have title-contending machinery until 2021, his seventh F1 season. Even so, he described Antonelli’s success at 20 as very impressive.

According to Verstappen, Antonelli stepped straight into a top team, where everything is scrutinised more closely and a driver cannot really develop away from the spotlight. He said Antonelli had difficult moments in his 2025 rookie season, but called that a normal part of rookie development. Verstappen added that Antonelli handled the situation well and was “right there from the very beginning” of the 2026 season.