Max Verstappen Heaps Praise on Kimi Antonelli’s Campaign: “He Pulled It Between The Big Guns” Formula 1’s newest and most unexpected bromance is officially blossoming. While Mercedes and Red Bull usually can’t stand being in the same zip code, Max Verstappen just spent Thursday’s media day at the Belgian Grand Prix absolutely glowing over Kimi Antonelli. If you thought Verstappen only cared about his own telemetry, you clearly haven’t been paying attention. During today’s media scrums ahead of the race weekend, the four-time world champ dropped some serious respect for the young Mercedes driver, specifically pointing back to Kimi’s karting days as proof of his raw, unfiltered talent. Verstappen didn’t hold back his admiration when discussing the young Italian’s background: “I think when [Antonelli] was still in go-karting, you could see he was one of the stand out talents. And what was impressive, I always think you should do a few races in a shift category and learn how to use the gears. And he pulled it between the big guns and was so quick.” Surviving the Rookie Crucible It takes a lot to impress the Dutchman, but seeing a kid jump into a heavy, violent shifter kart and instantly bully the veterans clearly left a mark. Verstappen went on to validate the Italian’s incredibly fast—but admittedly turbulent—progression in the W17, noting how much he has evolved since his debut. Reflecting on Antonelli’s grueling 2025 campaign, Max added: “For me, it was never in doubt that he would jump up and be consistently competitive. Your rookie season can be quite tough, but at the moment, he is doing an amazing job.” This isn’t just empty media-day fluff, either. The two actually built a solid connection through the sim racing world long before Antonelli got the call-up to the big leagues.