Kimi Antonelli explains 'stressful' reaction to break 16-year F1 drought

Kimi Antonelli has revealed how he responded to the intense pressure applied by Oscar Piastri late in the Canadian Grand Prix, as he struggled to hold on to a maiden podium.

The young Italian was ultimately successful in that endeavour, in no small part due to Lando Norris crashing into the back of his McLaren team-mate, which meant the race at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve finished under safety car conditions.

Having started fourth, Antonelli beat Piastri in the run down to Turn 3 on the opening lap. However, as the grand prix drew to a close, the 18-year-old feared he had pushed too hard during his final stint.

It left him counting down the laps on the steering wheel of his Mercedes W16, praying the race would end.

"I was just hoping for the race to finish, to be honest," Antonelli told media including RacingNews365. "I was even looking at the screen counting the laps because it was very stressful.

"In the last stint, I pushed a bit too hard behind Max and eventually degraded the front left. The last few laps were a struggle, especially seeing Oscar getting closer and closer in the DRS range.

"At one point, he even tried to attempt the overtake in turn one. It took a lot of effort."

Momentous occasion

Antonelli's achievement in Montreal has made him the third-youngest podium finisher in F1 history, behind Max Verstappen, who finished second, and home hero Lance Stroll.

It was also the first time since 2009 an Italian driver has reached the rostrum, when Jarno Trulli finished second for Toyota in the Japanese Grand Prix that year.

With Italy being a proud, motorsport-loving nation, Antonelli recognised the magnitude of his accomplishment, whilst setting his sights on his next target.

"It’s obviously a great feeling to be the next Italian on the podium after such a long time," he said. "Now the next goal is to win, to bring Italy back on top.

"This result was needed. It’s also for all the Italian Tifosi out there. Imola was an incredible weekend for me in terms of support. It didn’t go as well as I wanted, but seeing so much support already early on is great. So, this result is also for them."