In Monaco, one thing is clear: Antonelli really isn't a rookie anymore

Antonelli was in the middle of his story when one of the many phones belonging to the attending journalists on the table in front of him started ringing. “I’m going to turn that off,” he said, picking up the phone and asking out loud, “Who is Paul Smith?” The remark drew smiles from those present in the room. For those unfamiliar with the name, Smith is Christian Horner’s right-hand man and, until mid-2025, Red Bull Racing’s press officer.

The way Antonelli responded was telling of who he is now. The shy kid from 2025 no longer exists. The Italian has rapidly matured as a driver; not only on the track, but certainly off it as well. Anyone who sees the Italian at work these days during a crowded media session in hospitality sees a confident guy; someone who cracks the occasional joke but, above all, doesn’t let himself be rattled.

These are qualities that make Antonelli a truly serious contender for the world title after a hesitant start in Formula 1. That wasn’t so strange, because he joined Mercedes barely at the age of eighteen. It feels like an eternity ago, as Antonelli is clearly no longer the driver who a year ago experienced towering highs but also very deep lows.

This Thursday in Monaco shows Antonelli's development, at a time when the entire Formula 1 world wants to know how he is handling the pressure, including that applied by Russell. Pressure? Antonelli wants none of it. Answering a question from GPblog, he points to the long season ahead of us and that a lot can still happen.

Later he adds: “I know expectations are growing, and as an Italian, I know how emotional we are and how excited we can get about things,” the youngster explains. But he can handle it—that’s his message. No doubt that should give Russell, who is currently the Italian's rival for the title, some cause for concern. The Briton must also have seen in the opening races of the season how fearlessly he was challenged by Antonelli. With a knife between his teeth, just as Max Verstappen does. It is something the true greats of the sport can do, while most cannot.

Asked about the greatest strength of his teammate, Russell says: “Well, I think he's always been super fast, to be honest. It's just more noticeable now that we're at the front and we're in a very different situation. Going through the sessions, there's maybe less pressure. Q1 last year for us was a real fight. So we have pressure every single lap.

"If we made a bad start last year, we couldn't just recover five positions, like we've done this year for the first four races, we lost positions every race start. Last year, that would have been game over. He was a fantastic driver last year and he's of course doing the same this year. I think just the circumstances, given how competitive our car is, make it different,” says the more experienced Mercedes driver.

Those circumstances indeed give Antonelli the chance to grab the title. Already, in a year when Russell was seen as the big favorite. Many others would be completely thrown off by that. But not Kimi. Kimi radiates in every way: 'Bring it on, George—I’m ready!'