Kimi Antonelli Doesn’t Miss Normal University Life While Friends Study and Work

All but certain to be crowned the F1 world champion this weekend in Mexico City, Kimi Antonelli is living a life most would only dream of at 20. Now the second youngest driver on the current grid after Arvid Lindblad, most of Antonelli’s friends are off to work their jobs or pursue higher studies in their respective domains. And while some people might miss the simpler pleasures of life, the Mercedes driver doesn’t.

With Antonelli’s fame growing almost as quickly as he drives on the track, Antonelli understands that the attention could quickly become suffocating for him. And when The Telegraph UK quizzed him on whether he envies his friends from school, the Italian was clear with his words.

“Not really, to be fair. I really love the life I do.” He added, “If you would have asked me this question when I was 10,11, I would have probably said, ‘maybe I’ll miss it.’ But once you grow up and become sure of what you want to do in life, then, you know, you’re also willing to make these sacrifices.”

For Antonelli, perhaps the only thing he’ll miss is the privacy. When stepping out of the house or going to the restaurant, the Italian knows that he won’t be able to relax, given that a camera would always be pointing at him. But other than that, he has no issues.

Kimi Antonelli Has Still Found a Way To Keep Things Fun at Work

With work consuming most of his life now, the 20-year-old needs time to enjoy life as well. With friends, the luxury of having fun becomes undervalued, but at work, the young driver understands its importance. Given this, the soon-to-be F1 world champion has found a way to unwind while still working.

He has retained a youthful love for pranks, with his race engineer Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington bearing most of the brunt. One such prank came during the pre-season testing, when Antonelli secretly put chili sauce in Bono’s drink.

A follow-up came when Bono was soaked with a water gun by the young driver, giving way to a sort of war between the two teammates. The third chapter of the prank wars came when Antonelli ended up convincing the security staff at Brackley to disable Bono’s access card.

But as things stand, it is the Mercedes team that had the last laugh, luring Antonelli in for a fake interview before ambushing him with plates of whipped cream to celebrate his 20th birthday.

All of Italy Now Looks Up to Kimi Antonelli

But away from all the fun and games, Antonelli has a serious responsibility riding on his shoulders at just 20 years of age. The boy from Bologna stands just one race away from being crowned the world champion in F1 and rewriting history.

Not only will he become the youngest-ever driver to win the F1 title, but he will also become the first Italian since 1953 to take home the crown. A 73-year wait might be coming to an end in Mexico City, and an entire country depends on one boy to end it. As such, the pressure is higher than ever on Antonelli, and he knows it.

However, the 20-year-old is far from affected by it, as he’s shown a kind of maturity well beyond his age. The Italian driver has been very vocal about approaching each race as a standalone event, not thinking about the bigger picture.

Even Toto Wolff has spoken of Antonelli’s focus on performing well rather than aiming for the championship, clearly signaling that he isn’t letting pressure get the better of him.

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