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As he crossed the finish line in Shanghai to secure his maiden Formula 1 win, Kimi Antonelli kept a promise he made to Motorsport.com's Italian reporter Roberto Chinchero. By recreating Jim Clark's iconic thumbs-up celebration
Motorsport photo Melbourne, Australia. Kimi Antonelli has arranged to meet us at an Italian restaurant that has become a hotspot for F1's ample Italian-speaking community. At the next table is Franco Colapinto sharing a meal with some Argentinian friends.
They catch up about motorsport, expectations for a world championship that is about to begin. Kimi looks ravenous in more ways than one. Keen to tuck into the delicious Emilian cuisine that sets the benchmark in Melbourne, but also hungry to capitalise on Mercedes's shiny new W17 - a car that looks capable of making his hopes and dreams come true.
He may only be 19 but make no mistake about it. This is a lad who has grown up living and breathing racing since he was an infant. It's hard to catch him off guard discussing some of the greats of motor racing, regardless of the category.
Given Mercedes's favourite status, our conversation soon turns to success. Podiums, trophies, celebrations. “If you win one of the first two races, you have to celebrate like Jim Clark,” we suggest.