While Kimi Antonelli was expected to perform at a high level in F1, Mercedes and Toto Wolff made sure to temper expectations, reminding everyone that he’s still a rookie and prone to mistakes. But so far in the 2025 season, the Italian prodigy has been impressive, scoring points in every race except last weekend’s Bahrain GP.
Still, in Sakhir, Antonelli showcased his racecraft with some stunning moves, including one on reigning world champion Max Verstappen. Currently P6 in the standings, the 18-year-old is the highest-placed rookie and looks set to continue his blistering form.
Off the track, Antonelli has also won fans over—his Gen-Z persona has resonated strongly with the younger strata of F1’s audience. However, the mood might shift at Imola, where the Bologna-born driver will race in his first home Grand Prix next month.
Former GP2 champion Davide Valsecchi pointed out that the Italian public pledges full support to Ferrari at their home races in Imola and Monza. So, if Antonelli performs well and beats the Ferraris, the Tifosi may boo him at both the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix and the Italian GP in September.
“The Tifosi are strange, we are all for Ferrari and some times in the past, some Italian drivers in Imola, they were booed because they were beating Ferrari in the past,” Valsecchi said on the F1 Nation podcast.
An Italian driver getting booed at a home Grand Prix might sound odd, but there is precedent.
Riccardo Patrese would vividly remember the boos he received at the 1990 San Marino Grand Prix in Imola, despite winning the race in his Williams-Renault. At the time, Williams was on the rise, gradually reclaiming its competitive edge before dominating the ’90s ahead of McLaren and Ferrari.
Fast forward to today, and Mercedes find themselves in a similar position as Antonelli begins his F1 journey with them. Meanwhile, Ferrari—who were tipped to be title contenders this season—have yet to deliver on that promise.
Kimi Antonelli has led more laps than both Ferrari drivers combined so far this season pic.twitter.com/g7IN23gpGl
— Autosport (@autosport) April 14, 2025
Now, Valsecchi feels that Ferrari’s form being “average” right now may help Antonelli avoid getting booed at Imola. However, given the tight battles we’ve seen between Mercedes and Ferrari drivers for podium spots, there could still be an element of discontent toward the Silver Arrows if Antonelli or George Russell dislodge either of the Ferrari drivers from the podium.
