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Kimi Antonelli on Track to Break 18-Year Old Lewis Hamilton Record

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kevin Binoy | Last updated Aug 19, 2025 4:04 PM ET

Breaking into Formula 1 as a teenager is no small feat, especially when it’s with one of the sport’s biggest teams. The pressure, the spotlight, the constant comparisons it’s a lot to carry at just 18 years old.

Names like Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton come to mind as rare prodigies who not only survived but thrived in that environment. And now, Kimi Antonelli has joined that elite list. In his very first season, the young Italian hasn’t just held his own—he’s showing flashes of brilliance that suggest he’s destined for something special. In fact, he’s already closing in on a milestone Hamilton set nearly two decades ago.

Back in his rookie year, Lewis Hamilton racked up 109 points but it’s worth remembering the scoring system looked a little different then. Between 2003 and 2009, only the top eight scored, with the winner getting ten points instead of today’s 25. Fast forward to now, and Kimi Antonelli has already banked 64 points after 14 races, averaging about 4.5 points each round.

Kimi Antonelli is on pace to score 110 points this season.

That would break Lewis Hamilton’s F1 record of 109 points as a rookie in 2007 (different points system). pic.twitter.com/ikVgOr562H
— Daniel Valente ️ (@F1GuyDan) August 19, 2025

With 10 races still to go, that pace puts him right on track to grab another 45 points, which would take him to you guessed it 109. And that’s without even factoring in sprint weekends or fastest lap bonuses. So yeah, it’s looking more and more likely Antonelli could at least equal, if not surpass, Hamilton’s rookie points record set back in 2009.

A Closer Look at Kimi Antonelli’s Rookie Season

Just half a dozen races into his rookie F1 season, Andrea Kimi Antonelli was already making it clear why Mercedes didn’t hesitate to throw him into the deep end. The teenager only missed out on points once in those opening races, with Bahrain being the exception after a questionable strategy call and a run-in with Carlos Sainz.

Otherwise, he looked right at home—snatching a brilliant fourth place in the chaos of a rain-hit Melbourne, toughing it out with car damage in China, running close to George Russell in Suzuka and Jeddah, and even shocking the paddock with a sprint pole in Miami.

But the smooth start didn’t last forever. After Imola came mistakes and setbacks—pushing too hard at home, crashing in Monaco, car issues in Spain, and rookie errors in Austria and Silverstone. Still, a podium in Canada showed his class, even if the summer brought mixed results. The takeaway? Antonelli has the talent, no doubt. Now it’s about ironing out the rough edges and turning promise into consistency.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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