18-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli is the youngest rookie to make his Formula debut in the upcoming Australian Grand Prix. He is not just the youngest but also the chosen one to fill the seat left by none other than the F1 sensation Lewis Hamilton. Since this is no small achievement, the moment forms the subject of the recently released Netflix show, Formula 1: Drive to Survive. Antonelli has now spoken up about the episode and how close it is to reality.
Kimi Antonelli’s scene in Formula 1 Drive to Survive Season 7
Antonelli features in the third Drive to Survive episode titled ‘Looking out for number 1’. It is an emotional portrayal of how he received the news from the Mercedes boss Toto Wolff himself that he was the chosen one for Mercedes. It beautifully shows how he received the news when he was at home and how his family reacted to it.
Sharing about it, Antonelli said as per Motorsport.com, “I was at home with my parents and I made this video call and there were Toto, James Allison, Bradley, all the 'big' ones. Toto got straight to the point and said to me: 'I don't want to make you wait, next year you will be our F1 driver.'”
He went on to add, "I didn't sleep that night, I spent two hours staring at the ceiling. Relationship with Toto? He's a great person and I'm happy to have a person like him by my side.”
Antonelli will be driving for Mercedes alongside 27-year-old George Russell. He has big shoes to fill after Lewis Hamilton’s headline making move to Ferrari where he will be driving alongside Charles Leclerc.
Drive to Survive executive producer Gay-Rees was very satisfied with how the scene turned out on screen. Praising Antonelli, he told Formula1.com, “He’s such a sweet kid and comes across so well on the screen. It seems like a relatively ballsy move to promote him alongside George, but he’s clearly very talented and he’s obviously been a long-term project for Toto. It’ll also be interesting to see George as the senior Mercedes driver, and how he copes with that in turn. There’s a lot up for grabs this season, it feels like.”
Also Read:
Drive to Survive makers excited to gain from Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc’s equation at Ferrari The show makers have already hinted at what all they are looking for to feature in the eighth season. And certainly that includes the intra-team chemistry or rivalry between Russell and Antonelli as well as Ferrari’s Hamilton and Leclerc.
Get the latest IPL 2025 updates on Times of India, including match schedules, team squads, and live scores for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Find out how to watch IPL 2025 in Canada and the USA.The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the ...
Read MoreThe TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide.
From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more.
The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics.
We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects.
We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.
Read Less
Start a Conversation
Post comment