Bookmakers certainly had their hands full when it came to quantifying possible outcomes for Saturday’s Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix. Then came the podium results, which were reshuffled not long after the checkered flag was waved. It was a race that had all the drama the show Drive To Survive could wish for, and one that even Hollywood may have found difficult to script.

Sure, the fact that the reigning title holder of the World Drivers’ Championship, Max Verstappen, finished first—something he has done five times previously this season and now 69 times in his career—is no real surprise. The unexpected part was how the field behind him bounced around in positioning as if on a roulette wheel.

McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, first and second, respectively, in the points standings this year, opened the door for Verstappen when both teammates were disqualified after the race due to their cars failing to meet “skid-wear” requirements through no fault of their own. Norris had originally finished second and Piastri fourth. A by-product of this was that 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas team, who started out 17th on the grid, officially placed third behind his teammate George Russell—even after receiving a five-second penalty.

In his rookie season, Antonelli—born in Bologna, Italy—has finished in the top 10 a total of 13 times in 22 races. His best result was taking second in Brazil on November 9. The season, though, has not been without its trials, as he failed to finish four out of six races from May through July. Saturday, though, demonstrated to the world what Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff saw early on when he signed the wunderkind to the squad’s junior program in 2018, then gave him the 2025 Formula 1 seat vacated by seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton when the latter left for Ferrari.

Prior to the first practice session in Vegas, Antonelli shared with Robb Report some of the insights gained from his rookie season, including how to fine-tune prioritization and tune out the pressure so he can still enjoy the wild ride.

What are you most proud of about your rookie year, and where do you see room for improvement?

It’s been a season, so far, of ups and downs, definitely. I’ve had my highs and big lows, but the journey has been great despite the difficult moments. And the thing I’m most proud of is that I’m getting out of this big dark period . . . step by step, I’ve been coming out of it. Obviously, Brazil was a really great result . . . my best weekend so far in Formula 1. Once you’re back, you’re back even stronger.

If I look back at the season, the most room for improvement was trying to put all the details together; trying to put the weekends together was something that, up until Brazil, didn’t really happen during the season. I would have a good quali and not a good race, or I would have not a really good quali but then I would have a good race. That has been the thing where I struggle the most, especially sometimes in qualifying—trying to really strike the maximum out of the tires. I’ve really been working on it and have been making steps, but, of course, there’s still a long way to go.

What was one of the most important lessons you’ve learned from the season?

It’s been a massive learning curve for me, the whole season. I think one of the main lessons, definitely, was energy management during race weekends, especially when facing triple-headers . . . trying to really prioritize my recovery . . . trying to move things around in the schedule, just trying to fit them the best way possible considering my needs. In my first home race in Imola, I remember just going in the car and not feeling there mentally . . . feeling a bit disconnected, not 100 percent, and that’s the number one thing you want to avoid when jumping in the car. With the gap [between the competition] being so close, you have to be on top of your form because [with] every little mistake, you get punished very harshly.

With the European season being a dark period, I remember just focusing on the final result but not the process to get there. It would get more frustrating weekend by weekend because the result wouldn’t come. After Monza . . . I made quite a big reset. When I talk about focusing on the process, it’s mainly doing the right prep . . . in practice, set some goals, a few goals, and [try] to achieve them, and then set new ones for the next sessions . . . trying to drive as consistently as possible, giving good feedback to the team for the setup—all these little things that make the difference.

How do you define your driving style, and how does it differ from that of George’s?

I have a very aggressive driving style. I kind of throw the car into the corner . . . obviously, all of this without compromising the exit. When it works, it’s really good. George is, from what I can see, a bit more gentle with the car. Sometimes I should be a bit more gentle with the car. He tends to carry a lot of speed, as well, into the corner, but he’s a bit less aggressive on turning in. I throw the car a bit more.

What was your secret to dealing with the pressure of replacing Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes when he left for Ferrari?

It’s not easy. First year, immediately on a top team—it’s not easy. You’re more under the spotlight compared to the other rookies. Driving [for] a top team, I have to live up to higher standards . . . mistakes I do, they’re well seen. What I’ve been doing recently, during race weekends, [is] trying to avoid social media—just full focus on the task I have to do, working well with the team, with Bono [race engineer Peter Bonnington]. I know I’ve got their full trust and their full support. You do this because it’s what you love to do, but it’s also a profession. It’s a job, and sometimes it’s very easy to forget to also enjoy the driving. That’s something I’ve been trying to remind myself recently, every time going in the car.

What was it like for you to race for the first time against drivers you watched as a child, such as Lewis Hamilton and Fernado Alonso?

Of course, at the start, you’re a bit intimidated. It felt surreal, at first, to be on track with these drivers . . . these legends of the sport. The first time I was racing wheel-to-wheel [with] them, I was a bit more cautious. But, obviously, with the time, with the experience, you go back to your natural way of racing, aggressive way . . . because you also want to earn [the] drivers’ respect as well. You don’t want to be seen as the one that backs off, or the one that is intimidated, that is scared. You want to show them that . . . you’re not afraid to go for it.

How have you most benefitted from your respective relationships with Toto and George?

I’ll start with Toto. I’ve had a good relationship with him, professional relationship and also personal relationship. I’ve known him since 2018, that was the first year I joined the [Mercedes] junior program. We’ve built a really good relationship; he’s always there for me. A couple of time this season he’s been kicking my ass a little, but at the end of the day, it’s what I need sometimes as a person [and] as a driver. One of those was after Monza; he gave me a little kick in the butt, but it was good as it kind of helped me to reset and refocus. Sometimes it’s a bit of tough love, but it’s good, it’s what you need. He wants the best for me.

With George, there’s a really good dynamic. We have a lot of respect for each other, and I’ve been learning a lot from him. Of course, he’s been a very tough opponent because, so far, he’s had the best season of his career  . . . so it made my life tough, but that’s what we like. It’s really helped me to . . . level up myself. It’s been great to be alongside him.

What’s been your favorite circuit, so far?

I’ve had many, of course, for different reasons. Driving-wise, I would say Suzuka was amazing. Of course, Imola, my home race, was one of my favorite. Austin was very nice to drive as well, and Brazil was nice to drive with all the elevation changes. With F1, all the tracks, they’re very special because they become different tracks compared to the other categories. I’ve driven a lot of tracks in F2 last year that I’ve driven again in F1 this year and, I have to say, with F1, it feels like a different track. All of them, at the end of the day, with F1, are very enjoyable. But those that I [mentioned] are my absolute favorites.

How do you think Formula 1’s changes to the car in 2026 will play to the strengths of Mercedes?

It’s going to be a massive opportunity for everyone. For Mercedes . . . if we are able to replicate 2014, it could be a game changer. The power-unit side is looking good. Obviously, we don’t want to speak too early because we have to wait to see until the first race in Australia, but I’ve been going to the dyno, looking at the progress, and it’s looking very promising. The only issue is that other teams have our engine, such as McLaren—which has been very strong—but I have a lot of trust in the team. Also, you know, the car goes back to [being] more similar to what it was on the previous regulation . . . so it’s a bit more familiar territory for Mercedes.