Kimi Antonelli has revealed that Max Verstappen is a ‘very likeable person’ away from the racetrack, recounting positive encounters with the three-time world champion during his time in the sport so far.
Antonelli will be making the step up to F1 next season, replacing Lewis Hamilton as one-half of the Mercedes driver line-up. Whereas most drivers on the grid arrive in F1 having battled with and formed relationships with some of their competitors during their junior careers, this is not the case with the 18-year-old, such has been his meteoric rise.
One such figure is Verstappen, of whom Antonelli speaks well. “He is very nice,” the 18-year-old explained at Festival Dello Sport. “I spoke to him a few times and I must say that he is a very likeable person. I also played in the simulator with him.”
When probed further about Verstappen’s love for the simulator, Antonelli continued: “Exactly! Indeed, I turn the simulator on [and] strangely he is online. Sometimes, we drive together. We have never pushed each other off for now, luckily.
“But jokes aside, he is an amazing person. Very nice. He follows the junior categories a lot and the first time I spoke to him was last year. He even asked me something about Formula Regional because he had seen a few races.
However, Antonelli does have experience interacting with some of the sport’s biggest names, having grown up around the Mercedes garage while attending a flurry of FIA prize-giving galas thanks to the immense success of his junior career.
“So he is someone very up to speed, even in the junior categories you can see that he has the passion. He is also very funny! On track, he may be seen as someone a bit strict, but outside he is very, very nice. He is very easy.”
The strict demeanour mentioned by Antonelli was experienced at the most recent Grand Prix weekend in Singapore, where Verstappen staged a protest against the FIA after being slapped with a community service punishment for swearing during a press conference on media day.
Verstappen refused to elaborate on any answers during the post-qualifying press conference, instead taking journalists outside the presser room and into the paddock to conduct his interviews in full, away from the FIA’s cameras. This was one of many instances of the Dutchman’s strict stance on matters in F1.
