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Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli have an amicable relationship in the paddock, and the reigning champion has shared his words of wisdom for the teenager. Both Verstappen and Antonelli were fast-tracked to F1 and have had similar experiences in the pinnacle of motorsport.
Verstappen made his debut in 2015 with Toro Rosso (now Racing Bulls) and then moved up to Red Bull, where he went on to etch history in the F1 books. On the other hand, Antonelli is in his rookie F1 campaign and has already scored two podiums in the 21 race weekends he has participated in.
But these results have also been accompanied by some dismal lows for the Italian, as he was unable to score points in nine weekends so far, despite driving a car for Mercedes.
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However, with the resurgence in results and him joining Lando Norris and the reigning world champion at the podium for the Qatar GP, one driver was really ecstatic about the Italian's presence, Max Verstappen. The Dutchman later reflected on Antonelli's progress in F1 and said (via Motorsport.com):
"Keep believing in yourself. In a rookie season, you sometimes go through a real emotional rollercoaster. One weekend goes better than another. Sometimes you have high expectations, and sometimes they aren't met. You make mistakes. You have good weekends. But in the end, it's all part of the learning curve. You have to make mistakes to become a better driver, even in Formula 1."
"And for him to have a weekend like the one he had here, that was just very strong. He completely deserved to be on the podium, and that, of course, also gives him a huge confidence boost."
Both Antonelli and Verstappen have had some adorable moments off the track as well.
Kimi Antonelli has also shared glaring admiration for Max Verstappen
Kimi Antonelli was touted as the next Max Verstappen on the F1 grid by many. Moreover, with the two drivers sharing such similarities in their journey to F1, they even developed cordial relations with each other.
After the Canadian GP, where Antonelli scored his maiden podium and was joined by none other than Verstappen, he was full of admiration. When reflecting on battling with the Dutchman out on track, the 19-year-old said in the post-race press conference:
"Of course, seeing what Max has done over the years, especially in his rookie years, was quite astonishing. So definitely he's a model who I get inspired by. But at the end, racing against the best is a great chance."
Verstappen sits third in the drivers' championship while Antonelli sits seventh in the standings.
