Antonelli's dad insists Verstappen is 'on another level' to son Kimi right now

The young Italian driver has enjoyed a sensational start to the season, claiming five consecutive victories and one second-place finish. Those results have propelled him to the top of the championship standings, where he now holds a commanding 66-point lead over Lewis Hamilton and a 68-point advantage over his team-mate. The latter also lost second place in the drivers' standings in Monaco after being handed a late drive-through penalty, which dropped him out of the points altogether.

Speaking to Formule 1 Magazine, Antonelli's father praised Verstappen, describing him as a friendly person and revealing that the two families share a good relationship. He also pointed out that both are involved in Mercedes GT3 racing programmes. However, he believes it is still far too early to compare Kimi to the four-time world champion. While acknowledging that both drivers possess exceptional speed, he stressed that Verstappen has already built an extraordinary career, whereas Kimi is only at the beginning of his journey.

He went on to highlight the strong relationship between the two drivers, revealing that Verstappen and Kimi are in regular contact and speak to each other almost every race weekend. At the same time, Antonelli's father made it clear that, despite his son's impressive rise, Verstappen remains on a different level compared to the rest of the field at this stage of his career: "It's nice to see that they have a good relationship. Max and Kimi speak to each other almost every weekend. At the same time, it is clear that Max is on another level as a driver at the moment."

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff admitted he found it difficult to fully enjoy Kimi Antonelli's fifth win of the season in Monaco, as the Italian's success came against the backdrop of another disappointing weekend for George Russell. Wolff explained that he rarely attends podium ceremonies because he finds it challenging to celebrate when one side of the garage is thriving while the other is struggling. However, with Monaco being Mercedes' home race, he felt obliged to be present.

The Austrian also reflected on Russell's recent run of misfortune, pointing out that the Briton had the pace to win in Montreal before circumstances went against him. In Monaco, Wolff believes a podium finish was within reach had it not been for the costly penalty that compromised Russell's race. Despite the setback, Wolff revealed he has spoken with Russell and remains completely confident in his abilities. He stressed that the championship is a long-term challenge and noted that perceptions can change dramatically over the course of several seasons.

According to Wolff, Russell's struggles are not a reflection of his driving talent, but rather the difficulty of extracting performance from a car that does not inspire complete confidence. He insisted Formula 1 is ultimately dictated by performance and machinery, adding that drivers do not suddenly lose their skills overnight.