Valtteri Bottas has expressed his admiration for Kimi Antonelli’s work during the 2026 Formula 1 season, underscoring how mature the young competitor remains despite his tender years.
After seven rounds on the calendar, the 19-year-old Italian has already secured five victories and has climbed onto the podium six times — he only missed the Barcelona Grand Prix when he retired due to problems with the W17.
Then, with a 41-point lead over the second-placed driver, Antonelli has been making an impression, so much so that the Cadillac driver from Finland pointed out that it’s easy to picture all that the competitor could achieve in his career.
“For his age, you know, he’s really quite mature. So you have to remember how young he is still; this is only his second year. And yes, you can imagine the kind of career he has ahead of him and how much more he will learn and develop. So, yes, it’s very good to see that,” he said.
