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Kimi Antonelli has attended the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix Thursday Drivers’ Press Conference. Here is the full transcript!
Q: Thank you, Carlos. Kimi, let’s come to you now. Fourth, sixth, sixth, including the fastest ever racing lap around Suzuka on Sunday. Can we get your assessment of how it’s gone so far?
Andrea Kimi ANTONELLI: I mean, so far I think it’s gone pretty well. The thing I was the happiest about is the consistency throughout the three races and, you know, keep trying to improve weekend by weekend. Of course, every weekend is a massive learning for me, especially learning about the tyre. I think it was really helpful and I think it’s going to be really helpful to have the same compound this weekend as well compared to Suzuka just because I’m understanding more and more the tyre. I think in the first couple of races I really struggled with warm-up when it was coming to quali, and I think Suzuka was a big step forward on that side. So obviously massive learning, but so far I’m happy with how it’s going. Of course, you know George is running really well and it’s really helping me to develop and push myself even further. But I’m happy because I’m getting there slowly.
Q: George is having his best ever start to a season in Formula 1. When you look at his data and compare your data, where are the big areas where you feel you can still improve?
AKA: Well, I think now he has quite a bit of experience with the car and in F1 in general. What the main difference is, like you can see the confidence he has. He knows how to place the car and also where the car is going to end up in a corner while pushing. So there’s a lot of knowledge and confidence as well. But I think Suzuka was a really big step for me in terms of confidence and understanding the car. So I’m really looking forward to this weekend because obviously it’s a track that I know and obviously conditions will be much different compared to what we had in testing because it’s going to be much hotter. But I’m looking forward to see what we can do during the weekend.
Q: You’re used to the heat from Formula 2 here, aren’t you? What are your goals for this week?
AKA: Keep the positive trend, keep improving the qualifying pace because I think the speed is there, but it’s more about being able to put all the dots together, starting from the warm-up and then the lap itself. But yeah, keep the positive trend and then obviously keep working hard and we’ll see what the result is going to be on Sunday.
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QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Nelson Valkenburg – Viaplay) For Kimi: Last week in Suzuka, you were closer to George than you’ve been before. Great race pace, tyre management—that’s not going to be easy here on this track with tarmac that’s older than you.
KA: Yeah, that’s funny actually. Yeah, it’s going to be completely different. I mean, Suzuka was cold—new surface in Sector 1, so obviously it was changing a lot the way you had to manage the tyre. I mean, Sector 1 during the race was flat out the whole race and honestly, you didn’t really have to manage that much throughout the rest of the lap just because I think also Pirelli improved the tyre quite a lot from last year, and it seems like it’s much more robust. So you’re able to push and it was nice. I mean, in Suzuka it was nice to have a stint like that where I didn’t really have to worry much about tyre management and I was able to push. So that was really good fun. But yeah, this weekend it’s going to be completely different. I mean, I think it’s the most open tarmac we have during the season as it’s one of the oldest as well. It’s going to be much hotter also compared to the test. So obviously, tyre is going to be a really big topic, especially for the race. So it’s going to be a bit of a different story and also with the mindset, it’s going to be important to change the mindset—especially in order to be able to manage the tyre.
Q: (Albert Fabrega – ESPN) After seeing how difficult it was to overtake in Japan, do you think that the two mandatory stops implemented this year in Monaco could be a good solution for other races? The question is for all three of you.
KA: Yeah, I mean nothing more to add. I think Suzuka—you know it’s an amazing circuit to drive—but obviously the racing is quite difficult because the cars are getting more efficient, you’re able to run less downforce with the rear wing, so the DRS effect is even less. It’s even harder to overtake. Plus, Suzuka’s got only one DRS zone. And especially also to follow is not that easy because you go through the first sector which is super quick, and with the dirty air it’s really hard to keep up. And then you only got one shot on the main straight. But at the same time, Turn 1 is not a corner where you brake much, so it’s really dependent on the circuit. But I think this weekend is going to be a completely different story and especially with the strategy, it’s going to a lot different, and a lot more to play with.
Q: (Velimir Veljko – Avto Focus) We are all very serious, but have one different question for Kimi. You have a very specific name for Formula 1. Did you have a chance to meet Mr Räikkönen here and there? And do you ask him for advice?
KA: Well, I met him when I was quite little—I think it was 2018. He was doing the Monza GP. And, you know, the first time I met him I understood why they call him the Iceman, to be honest, because I remember going to him super excited and he had completely no reaction. So, you know… but I think he’s such a cool dude. I never really got the chance to properly have a chat with him, but definitely something I would like to do. It would be cool also to have some advice about racing for sure because he has done a lot in the sport. So definitely something I would like to do in the future.
Q: (Noah Simon – SID). Tomorrow there should be a meeting of the engine suppliers and the FIA to discuss the comeback of V10 engines. What’s your opinion about it? Would you like to have them back?
KA: Yeah, I mean it’s obviously a really, really big topic. The V10 sounds amazing, so definitely it would be cool. But I think as a driver, what you want is something that gives you good drivability and is consistent and also lasts. So I think, you know, the level that this engine reached now is pretty incredible because they can run at flat-out full speed for the whole Grand Prix—and for many Grands Prix. So I think as a driver, you just want something that is reliable and that has good drivability.
Source: FIA.com
