Kimi Antonelli reveals staggering response to F1 first: 'That was definitely special'

Kimi Antonelli has opened up on the overwhelming reaction he received after claiming his maiden F1 victory at the Chinese Grand Prix, revealing he was flooded with more than 1,000 congratulatory messages.

The Italian teenager, who has since added a second win at the Japanese Grand Prix and become the youngest driver in history to lead the world championship, described the Shanghai triumph as the defining moment of his career to date.

Despite the rapid momentum that has followed, Antonelli admitted it took time for the significance of his breakthrough victory to sink in.

"Yes, now, but it took a while," he said to BILD when asked if he had processed it yet. "That was the best day of my life so far, because I'd been working towards this moment ever since I started karting as a kid.

"To finally achieve it was an incredible feeling. I'd never felt anything like it before."

The scale of the reaction in the immediate aftermath underlined just how significant the achievement was, not only within Formula 1 but across the wider sporting world.

When questioned on how many congratulatory messages he had received, the 19-year-old replied: "Many! I had over 1000 messages on my phone."

Among those messages were notes from some of Italy's most celebrated sporting figures, adding an extra layer of personal significance for the young driver.

"My idol Valentino Rossi wrote to me. That was definitely special," Antonelli explained.

Rossi, a nine-time motorcycle world champion and one of his home nation's most iconic athletes, has long been an inspiration for Antonelli, making the gesture particularly meaningful in the wake of his first F1 success.

Antonelli also highlighted the message he received from tennis star Jannik Sinner, which extended beyond a private note.

"But Jannik Sinner also sent me a very nice message – and even dedicated his post-match speech at the Indian Wells final to my victory. That was really cool."