Verstappenโข Offers Guidance to โคAntonelli Followingโ Challenging F1 Debut Season
November 16, 2025 – Max Verstappen has extended advice to Kimi Antonelli following the young โคdriver’s inauguralโ Formula 1 season,โ marked by inconsistency despite high expectations. The reigning World Champion acknowledged theโค difficulties Antonelliโฃ facedโ adapting to the demands of the sport and offered support as the โขmercedes-backedโ driver prepares for future campaigns.
Antonelli, whoโ transitioned directly from Formula 2 to F1 with Mercedes’ customer โคteam, struggled to consistently translate potential into results throughout 2025. While demonstrating flashesโฃ of speed, the 18-year-old ofen found himself battling car setup issuesโค and the steep learning curve inherent in Formula 1. Verstappen, having navigated a similar path to the pinnacle of motorsport,โ shared insights basedโข on hisโ own experiences.
“It’s never easy jumping into F1, especially withoutโฃ a lotโ of testing beforehand,”โ Verstappen stated. “There’s a lot to learn,โข and it’s not just about being โขfast.It’s about understanding theโ car, working with the engineers,โ and managing โthe pressure. He has a lot of talent, absolutely, but it takes timeโ to put everything โฃtogether.”
Verstappenโ emphasized the importance โขof patience and a focused approach to development. He suggested Antonelli โขconcentrate โon incremental improvementsโฃ and avoid becoming discouraged by setbacks.โค “The key is to stay calm, keep learning, and not tryโค to force things. Every race weekend isโ a chance to get better, and it’s notableโ to build on โthose small โgains.”
Antonelli’s 2025 performance has prompted discussion within the Mercedes organizationโค regarding his development path. Team principal Toto Wolff has publicly stated his commitment to supporting Antonelli’s growth,โ and Verstappen’s input adds another layer of mentorship for the promising young driver.โ The advice comes as Antonelli prepares for the off-season, aimingโ to refine his โขskills and return stronger โฃfor โฃthe โ2026 season.
