Kimi Antonelli Admits Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen Have Stopped Helping Him
Mercedes Formula 1 driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli has opened up about how Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen treat him differently this year, as the 19-year-old driver leads the drivers’ standings. The statement arrives amid Mercedes’ dominance, which has helped Kimi Antonelli win two of the first three grands prix. After an impressive debut season in 2025, Antonelli has gone on to become the youngest driver in F1 history to win a race and the youngest ever to lead the championship after his victories at the 2026 Chinese and Japanese Grans Prix.
As a team, Mercedes has won all three races thus far, as Kimi Antonelli’s teammate, George Russell, won the opening round in Australia. Being in the limelight after his recent win at the Suzuka Circuit, Kimi Antonelli has noticed many changes this season as rivals look at him as a serious championship contender, whereas last year, he was perceived as an 18-year-old driver who had just entered the premier class of motorsports. In an interview with BILD , Kimi Antonelli revealed how multi-world championship winners like Hamilton and Verstappen have changed the way they interact with him this season, which is a stark difference from the previous year.
When asked if he shares a good relationship with them, the Mercedes driver said: Read More from MotorBiscuit: Lewis Hamilton Drifts Through Tokyo in a Ferrari F40 With Kim Kardashian by His Side – Video F1 Insider Warns George Russell of Antonelli Threat: ‘Treat Him Like Lewis Hamilton’ David Croft Warns Max Verstappen Could Actually Walk Away From F1 After He Threatens to Quit Chinese Grand Prix, Sunday, Getty Images SHANGHAI, CHINA – MARCH 15: Race winner Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy and Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team arrives in parc ferme during the F1 Grand Prix of China at Shanghai International Circuit on March 15, 2026 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images) “Last year they were very open and helped me. But now they’ve stopped.
” Verstappen’s own problems at Red Bull could have held him back from offering advice, as his team struggles to find pace on his RB22 F1 car. “My Victory Showed That I Can Beat Anyone” Hamilton, however, did give him some great advice to be fast. Kimi Antonelli said: “The idea that I should always be myself and enjoy what I do in order to be fast.
The pressure in this environment is so great that it’s easy to forget that. ” When asked if he had what it takes to be a world champion, despite limited experience in F1, Kimi Antonelli said: “Experience is my biggest weakness compared to drivers like George (my teammate Russell), no question. You can’t buy that.