Antonelli reveals he still learns from Verstappen's racecraft

At just 20, Kimi Antonelli is already dominating F1. The Mercedes driver has won eight grands prix, including five straight from China to Monaco, and leads teammate George Russell 292-211. Yet he still learns from Max Verstappen, the four-time champion who sits sixth in the standings.

Why it matters:

Antonelli's lead looks comfortable, but Verstappen's racecraft remains the benchmark. The young Italian's ability to absorb lessons from a rival—even one behind him—could define how he handles the season's closing stages. Verstappen has ruled out a comeback, saying Antonelli just needs to keep doing what he's doing.

The details:

• Antonelli credits Verstappen's "incredible vision" and car positioning.
• In Madrid, Antonelli let Lando Norris back past too quickly at the second chicane. He knew Verstappen would attack on the outside at the next corner—and he was right. Verstappen took the gap, briefly dropping Antonelli to third.
• The lesson: had Antonelli held the lead for even a lap, he and Norris could have pulled a gap to the chasing pack before swapping positions.
• Antonelli also cites Monaco, where Red Bull looked off in FP3 before Verstappen nearly took pole. "When it matters, you always find something more," Antonelli said. Verstappen later let Antonelli by again, but the Mercedes was faster anyway.

What's next:

As the season heads to Azerbaijan, Antonelli's study of Verstappen's racecraft could be a subtle edge. The championship may be his, but he's still treating every race as a lesson.