Kimi Antonelli: ‘If you know the car well, you can push it to the limit straight away’

What do you like to do in your spare time? I mainly play the Formula 1 simulator, and then, if I get the chance, I go and play a few games of tennis or padel with my trainer or my friends. In the evening, if I can, I might meet up with them to go to the cinema or bowling. Simple activities, but they help me switch off. 

Il Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Mercedes-Amg Petronas Formula One Team ha un quadrante viola intenso, un omaggio al Gran Premio di Singapore che si disputerà, in notturna, il prossimo 11 ottobre. L’orologio ha la cassa di 41 mm è in titanio, il movimento automatico di manifattura e il cinturino in gomma viola con fibbia in titanio. (COURTESY IWC)

Do you have a hobby? Yes, I’ve recently taken up driving radio-controlled cars – the 1:8 scale motorised ones: they’re brilliant and very challenging. I also see it as a form of mental training because it helps me stay focused and not get distracted for a moment.

Returning to your profession, these days a Formula 1 driver cannot just be fast; they must also have a thorough understanding of many technical aspects. You’re very young – how did you prepare yourself to tackle this aspect as well? In Formula 1, every detail makes a difference: you only need to look at the number of buttons on the steering wheel to realise that. Before the season started, they sent me a brochure of about 30 pages explaining the various functions and the procedures to follow. I studied it thoroughly because it’s very complicated in itself, but it’s even more so when you’re racing. Every change has to be made immediately, partly because sometimes the team asks you to do so – there might be an error in the car’s system and you have to rectify it, following their instructions. That’s just one example of what I’ve had to learn. Then there’s aerodynamics, the tyres...

Andrea Kimi Antonelli all’evento organizzato da Iwc che si è svolto il 2 settembre scorso a Milano per il lancio del nuovo orologio Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Mercedes-Amg Petronas Formula One Team. (COURTESY IWC)

Perhaps you could do a degree in engineering, given that you sat your A-levels last summer... Well, I don’t know about that... But for a driver, it’s still good to understand a bit about mechanics. It might not give you an edge in terms of driving, but knowing about it can help guide the team on the direction in which to take the car’s development.

Do you have any friends amongst your colleagues in the paddock? You’re all more or less the same age… I have great respect for every rider; obviously, there are some I get on better with than others. At the end of the day, I’m there to race for myself, not to make friends. 

You previously said that Ayrton Senna and Michael Jordan are among your sporting idols: is there one of their qualities that you’d like to make your own? From Senna, his sensitivity behind the wheel. He had a special knack for understanding just how far he could push the car. I’ve got that too, but I’m working on taking it a step further. From Jordan, I’d say his competitive edge – even with his teammates, whom he always tried to push beyond their limits right from training sessions – and his mental resilience: even when things were going badly, he managed to stay calm and turn the situation around. Then, of course, he was an incredibly talented player. 

By joining the Mercedes AMG-Petronas team, you have also become part of the IWC family, a watch brand that has been a partner of your team for many years. Now that I’ve got to know this world, I’ve discovered something that I’m really passionate about.