Alain Prost on World Champion Kimi Antonelli: “It’s almost inexplicable”

At just 20 years of age, Kimi Antonelli has achieved what only 35 people before him have managed, whilst around 750 have failed to do so – becoming Formula 1 World Champion.

The way in which the likeable Italian has done this has even astonished the French racing legend Alain Prost, as he writes in his column for the French sports daily L’Équipe.

Prost, a 51-time Grand Prix winner and four-time F1 World Champion, praises him: “This success is almost inexplicable. He’s World Champion at 20; I didn’t join Formula 1 until I was 25 – we’re talking about completely different generations here. The sport has changed so much that drivers from different eras can hardly be compared with one another any longer.”

“Another thing that impresses me is the fact that an Italian has become world champion. Of course, there was a time when Ferrari didn’t want Italian drivers in their cars because it was believed that the pressure on an Italian in a red racing car was simply too great. That certainly didn’t help the track record of Italian drivers.”

“Antonelli’s success can be partly explained by the new regulations. At 20, Kimi might even have a certain advantage, particularly when it comes to energy management. Other drivers had to completely adapt to that; a young driver doesn’t need to do so as much.”

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“But there’s also something that’s almost impossible to put into words. Normally, in the past and even today, a young driver needs a bit of time to adapt to the system. He didn’t need that. That’s what surprises me the most. You get the impression that a GP veteran is at work here.”

“Take a look at Monaco. I didn’t see a single mistake from him all weekend, and I followed every lap – the free practice sessions, qualifying, the race. And that’s a circuit where, if you’re pushing hard, if you’re going for pole position or victory, mistakes happen in the blink of an eye. But with him? Nothing!”

Prost explains the seemingly inexplicable as follows: “I think there’s an innate component here, something that lies in a driver’s genes. I don’t know the people around him, but I believe that your environment plays a very important role when you’re so young – in helping you to stay calm and let yourself be guided.”

“Toto Wolff’s team recognised early on that Antonelli is an exceptional driver. That early commitment, that unconditional support, took me quite by surprise, but perhaps that is precisely what gave Kimi that confidence.”

“Kimi is a very nice lad, but out on the track, when he flips down his visor, even at the age of 20 he really has a knife between his teeth – he has that unyielding will to win.”