Max Verstappen jokes about key difference with Kimi Antonelli at 20: “He speaks Italian!”
Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen discusses the rise of young driver Kimi Antonelli, who recently became the sport's youngest world champion. Verstappen praises Antonelli's talent and guidance while joking about the differences between them.
Why it matters
Highlights the emergence of a new generation of talent in elite motorsport and the high-pressure environment of professional racing.
Following the Mexico Grand Prix, Kimi Antonelli has entered the history books as Formula 1’s youngest-ever world champion. The Italian has taken the record from Sebastian Vettel, who had already said at Monza that he would be delighted for Antonelli to break it and that records are there to be broken.
Under the current superlicence rules, it will be an enormous challenge to lower Antonelli's record (20 years, two months and seven days) any further, as someone would have to clinch a maiden world title while a teenager.
All of this underlines just how special Antonelli's achievement is, although Verstappen gave a rather matter-of-fact response shortly before the Italian secured the title when asked what exactly sets the Mercedes protege apart from most young drivers: “More talent.”
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