“That’s Incredible”: Kimi Antonelli’s Lap Time Memory Leaves Fans in Disbelief

F1 - PRE-SEASON TESTING 2025 - BAHRAIN ANTONELLI KIMI Andrea (ita), Mercedes AMG F1 Team W16, portrait press conference

With just a few days remaining for the 2025 season opener in Australia, Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli is awaiting his much-anticipated F1 debut. The 18-year-old has been touted as one of the most talented young drivers in the sport today.

He would need all that talent and more once he hits the track. After all, his debut is no ordinary entry. He is joining the Formula One grid driving for one of the biggest teams, replacing Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world champion.

Naturally, the expectations surrounding his rookie season are immense. However, he has had only one season’s worth of seasoning in F2. And that inexperience could become a handicap.

Then again, the #12 driver has certain other hidden abilities that could come in handy on the F1 grid. In a recent video doing the rounds of X, Antonelli can be seen recalling lap times from his F2 season accurately.

A PREMA engineer reveals in the video: “Kimi remembers his lap times from all the sessions that he ever did in his life.”

The Italian racing prodigy then goes on to recall lap times from the previous rounds of the F2 championship he participated in — leaving even Ollie Bearman impressed.

This hidden skill of the #12 driver is a testament to his approach to life — he lives and breathes racing. As soon as this clip went viral, fans swarmed to the social media platform to laud the Italian.

Antonelli, however, will have to undergo a process of unlearning and learning to adapt to the rigors and challenges of driving an F1 car.

Antonelli has his work cut out with Mercedes F1 debut

With a high level of interest and scrutiny already around him, the pressure on Antonelli’s young shoulders is immense.

That said, Antonelli has the benefit of having experienced drivers such as George Russell and Valtteri Bottas around to help him get settled at Brackley. Antonelli’s interaction and dynamic with the duo will be crucial to his development throughout this season.

Mercedes is well aware that Antonelli is just 18 and is unlikely to hit the ground running with immediate effect in his rookie season. So, Toto Wolff has already advised Mercedes shareholders to have realistic expectations.

The team will hope that Antonelli uses 2025 to learn as much as he can, so that he is ready to deliver when the all-important regulation changes take place next year.

Post Edited By: Dhruv Rupani
Kimi Antonelli Mercedes

About the author

Anirban Aly Mandal

Anirban Aly Mandal is an F1 writer at The SportsRush, with over 1000 articles under his belt, Anirban's love for F1 started when he discovered a copy of F1 2014 on his computer. With over half a decade's worth of time spent religiously following the sport, he’s dived deep into the world of motorsports. However, Anirban's expertise goes beyond just writing - he has also written several academic papers focused on the domain of motorsports and the law. His passion for the sport is so immense that he aspires to work as a legal advisor in the most prestigious racing series in the world someday. When it comes to Formula 1, Anirban finds great pleasure in re-watching classic races and idolizes the likes of Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, and Sebastian Vettel. His top picks include Brazil '91, Silverstone '92, and Germany '19. Outside of the sport, Anirban is an avid sim racer, often found racing on titles like Assetto Corsa, F1 22, and Automobilista. Apart from his interests in gaming, Anirban has a keen interest in philosophy, literature and music.

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