Oct 20, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Italian driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli walks through the track entrance before the 2024 Formula One US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

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“Weird”- Kimi Antonelli Reacts to His Driver of The Day Award!

Kimi Antonelli is flabbergasted after receiving the Driver of the Day Award!

Kimi Antonelli has joined the grid as the youngest driver in 2025. He is racing in the Mercedes AMG Formula 1 Team alongside George Russell. Kimi is also the third youngest driver to score points in a Formula 1 race. The young Italian has been impressing the entire paddock with his performance from the very first race. Antonelli is very competitive against his teammate George Russell. He was just one place shy of a podium in the first race of the season. Antonelli’s pace and results have helped Mercedes capitalise on George Russell’s podium. Toto Wolff now believes that his team is the second fastest on the grid.

Kimi Antonelli is replacing Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, who is racing with Ferrari from 2025. His performance and potential to join the grid earned him an exception from FIA to get his F1 license. Intially, Antonelli’s young age became a matter of discussion. He was among the favorites out of the six rookies. Some experts had doubts about his performance at such a young age. However, he proved his worthiness for the Mercedes seat from the first race of the season. Antonelli is currently fifth in the F1 driver standings with 22 points to his name.

Kimi Antonelli and Toto Wolff Discuss Over the Radio After His DOTD Award

Kimi Antonelli displayed consistent pace throughout the Chinese Grand Prix weekend. First, he qualified and finished seventh at the Chinese GP F1 Sprint. Antonelli earned two points for his team before going into the qualifying session. He started the Chinese GP in eighth position. Antonelli was initally overshadowed by fellow Isack Hajdar who qualified in seventh place. But to his advantage, Antonelli was able to maintain his position throughout the race. He finished the race in eigth place, although he was promoted to sixth place later on following the double disqualification of Ferrari.

Antonelli’s performance was appreciated by the fans who voted him for the Driver of the Day award. During his cooldown lap, Toto Wolff took over his radio to deliver the news. Wolff and Kimi went to have a fun banter on the radio about his award. Kimi then commented about his new award-

“Me?…Yeah that’s weird”

A bit of a surprise for Kimi and Toto 😂#F1 #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/6Cn5mc1tJU
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 24, 2025

Kimi’s hilarious reaction is supported by his antics on the grid. He is known for his straightforward and fun-loving attitude. Antonelli was the first to call Fernando Alonso a “Rookie” in an exclusive interview featuring the five new drivers on the grid. Although, the surprised reactions from Toto Wolff and Kimi Antonelli might imply something else altogether.

Did Antonelli Deserve the DOTD at The Australian Grand Prix?

Kimi Antonelli made his dream debut for the Silver Arrows at the 2025 Australian Grand Prix. He was quick during the practice sessions and pre-season tests. His luck didn’t favor him and he ended up getting eliminated in Q1 during the qualifying session on Saturday. Antonelli rode over the curbs and suffered floor damage to his Mercedes. This meant that Antonelli would start in 16th place during the race.

The Australian Grand Prix commenced under equally treacherous conditions with rain affecting the start. The water showers went away momentarily to resume during the last half of the race. The tricky conditions were emphasised by experienced drivers crashing during the inital stage. Sainz, the 2024 Australian Grand Prix winner, spun out in first lap. He was followed by Alonso who crashed after facing loss of grip.

Antonelli on the other hand, made steady progress and put his Mercedes right behind George Russell to secure fourth place in the race. He made up 12 positions during a rain swept debut race. His performance created a stir in the paddock prompting people to take notice of the new driver. But, to his dismay Lando Norris won the Driver of The Day award. Antonelli’s performance was exceptional on the same level as the DOTD winner but he could not earn the winning vote from the fans.

Do you think Antonelli lost the Driver of the Day award unfairly to Lando Norris at the Australian Grand Prix? Follow The Playoffs to read more intricate coverage and analysis of F1 races!

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I work as a Writer at The Playoffs specialising in NHL, Formula 1 and Motorsports. I got into online journalism a couple of years ago. I used to be an intern for a website managing their Formula 1 content and then I served an entire year as a contractual writer.