Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton tease Kimi Antonelli with unhelpful F1 advice

Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton poked fun at Kimi Antonelli after the Mercedes driver clinched pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix.

The two F1 drivers' champions were asked if they had any advice for the 19-year-old for the launch in Monte Carlo, but clearly wanted to keep their cards close to their chests.

Instead, led by the Red Bull driver, the pair provided Antonelli with a plainly unhelpful pointer, which the Italian took in jest.

Race starts have been a key weakness for the Brackley-based squad in 2026, with the drivers' championship leader struggling in particular.

The Canadian Grand Prix saw improvements from the W17s, but with overtaking notoriously difficult in the Principality, it will be a cause of anxiety ahead of the 78-lap race.

When asked about the situation, Antonelli explained how he would not try to attempt anything "magic" off the line, instead focusing on the fundamentals.

"Starting in Montreal, for the first time, I didn't lose, well, I still lost a place on Sunday, but for the first time I didn't lose like six or seven places. So, it was a step forward," the Mercedes driver told media, including RacingNews365.

"It's a pretty short run into Turn 1 in Monaco, so just need to get a clean start, don't try to do the magic start, and then we'll see from there."

When Verstappen and Hamilton were asked if they had any advice to impart, neither was feeling particularly generous to their direct competitor; instead, opting to have some light-hearted fun.

"So, when the lights go out, you wait one second," the Dutchman, who starts on the front row, joked. "That's my advice!"

The seven-time F1 drivers' champion, who starts third, added: "Yeah, I'm one step behind, so two seconds," to which Antonelli replied: "Two seconds, okay!"