Kimi Antonelli « really happy » to win his first ever F1 podium

The young driver admitted to having encountered difficulties with the C6 soft tires during the last European races, retiring both at home in Imola and at the Spanish Grand Prix, in addition to crashing his car during qualifying in Monaco – a series without a single point scored.

But the W16 seemed much better suited to the cooler conditions in Montreal, which allowed the team to shine: George Russell converted his pole position into a victory, while Kimi Antonelli secured third place, just behind Max Verstappen.

Read also: Canadian Grand Prix: Russell triumphs in Montreal, collision between McLarens

A first podium for the rookie

This result was made possible thanks to a decisive overtake on Oscar Piastri (McLaren) right from the first lap, allowing the Italian to move from fourth to third place. The two-stop strategy of Mercedes then helped him maintain his position, despite persistent pressure from the Australian towards the end of the race.

Speaking after the arrival, Kimi Antonelli said: “It was super stressful, but I am really very happy. At the start, I managed to take 3rd place and I stayed there, in front. In the last stint, I pushed a little too much behind Max and damaged the front left tire. I suffered at the end, but I’m super happy to bring this podium.”

Asked about his overtake on Oscar Piastri, he explained: I got a good start and managed to position myself alongside. In the first corner, I just tried to maintain as much speed as possible.

Then in turn 2, being level with him, I knew I would have the advantage, especially coming into turn 3. Very happy to have achieved that.

Mercedes optimistic for the future

The soft C6 tires, which had caused so many problems for Kimi Antonelli in Imola and Monaco, were noticeably less used in Montreal – the medium tires (yellow stripe) proved effective over one lap and were the preferred choice for the majority of the top 10 at the start of the race.

The revival of Mercedes even helped resolve the tire issues of the young 18-year-old driver, who explained that driving on a new circuit for him boosted his confidence and allowed him to take a step forward.

However, just like his teammate, he remains cautious and does not yet consider this performance as a new standard, while expressing optimism for the upcoming races.

When asked if his next ambition was to achieve a first Grand Prix victory, he replied: « That’s the goal. This track suited us well, the car has been incredible all weekend, and I hope we can keep this momentum in the upcoming races. »