Andrea Kimi Antonelli has revealed that the influence of his father is helping him to avoid being “eaten by the sharks” in the chaotic world of Formula 1.
The Italian has enjoyed an impressive beginning to his F1 career in his rookie season, which has seen him score points in all but four of the 10 rounds contested so far.
As well as a pole position for the Sprint Race in Miami, Antonelli impressed further with his first podium in Canada, taking third place.
His father Marco, 60, has been a longstanding touring car and GT driver, and is sticking close to his son as he takes his first steps into F1, helping him to keep grounded.
“Well, you know, my dad is a great rock,” Antonelli told media including Motorsport Week. “He’s a big rock for me. He’s been there, teaching me everything since I was very little, since karting.
“I feel it’s very important to have someone like him at the track, especially in my rookie season in F1, because it’s a completely new world – super intense and difficult as well.
“I faced three really difficult weekends, and I have to be honest, on the mental side, that’s not been easy, because here it’s like being in water full of sharks.
“If you don’t perform, you get eaten by the sharks. So it’s really important to be on top of it. I think having him helps to stay sharp, to stay focused.
“We talk about anything, to be honest. We watch onboards together, we rewatch replays from previous years, and we try to analyse stuff in order to have a better idea and try to improve for the next session.”
‘No reason’ to be intimidated by F1 drivers
Antonelli was asked what it is like to navigate his learning experiences with F1 and balance that with the potential of being intimidated by the so-called sharks, he said it is difficult, but exciting more than anything else.
“Well, of course, it’s not easy,” he said. “What I’ve been learning a lot is you have to be on top of the game since FP1, because then you find yourself a bit on the back foot, and most of the time, it’s hard to recover from there.
“Overall, there’s no reason why I should be intimidated by the other drivers. Of course, it’s great to race in F1 with the best 19 drivers, and some of them have written the history of the sport.
“As a driver, even though it’s my rookie season, it’s exciting to go against these kinds of drivers. It’s a way for me to test my skills, to challenge myself, and to see what I can do. At the same time, I have a lot to learn—lots of scenarios to experience and situations to face.
“The triple header, even though it wasn’t the nicest one, was still a massive learning for me. For the first time, I faced really difficult moments—performance wasn’t really coming, didn’t have the right confidence, and I was struggling with the tire.
“It’s been a really good lesson, and I know much better how to react for the future.”
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