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Kimi Antonelli Warns 'There's Still a Lot of Work to Do' After Scoring First Podium

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Samriddhi Jaiswal | Last updated Jun 16, 2025 3:04 PM ET

Kimi Antonelli just made history but he’s not getting carried away.

The 18-year-old Mercedes rookie claimed his first-ever Formula 1 podium with a stunning third-place finish at the Canadian Grand Prix.

Antonelli passed Oscar Piastri on the opening lap and kept his cool under intense pressure from both McLarens late in the race. At times, he even threatened Max Verstappen for second place but Red Bull’s pit strategy kept the reigning champion safe.

Still, the Italian teenager wasn’t fully satisfied.

“I’m still aware there’s a lot of work to do,” Antonelli admitted post-race. “Especially when it comes to qualifying and getting quicker at the start of the session. But we’re on a good path.”

The final laps in Montreal tested his nerves. With Oscar Piastri closing in and DRS-enabled attacks coming fast, Antonelli admitted he was just hoping for the race to end: “I was even counting down the laps on the screen.”

Fans in Montreal chanted “Kimi” as he celebrated on the podium a moment made even more special with his father, Marco Antonelli, watching from the garage. “It was better than I imagined,” he said. “You can’t buy this feeling.”

Kimi becomes GRANDE KIMI!!

It's Kimi Antonelli's first podium in Formula 1, completing a Mercedes 1-3 #F1 #CanadianGP pic.twitter.com/AJu8fnpE4A
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 15, 2025