Mercedes had a strong weekend at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, with George Russell taking the position for Paul and winning by Max Barstappen, and Andrea Kimi Antonelli went from fourth to third on the grid. He previously had Paul’s position at the Sprint event, but it was the first time Antonelli has made it to the podium in his rookie season, and he says he’s more hungry.
“It was much better than I imagined,” Antonelli said. “I had huge goosebumps when I heard the crowd while walking on the podium, which is definitely a moment I remember for a very long time.
“It gives you a boost – this outcome and this feeling, you can’t buy this feeling. It’s an amazing feeling, you just want more. The goal now is to maintain the same momentum and try to achieve more podiums.
Before that special moment, Antonelli had to deal with enough pressure as two McLarens closed in the final stages of Sunday’s race.
“To be honest, I was hoping the race would end, and it was so stressful that I was watching the screen counting laps,” he said. “In the final stint, I pushed in a bit hard behind Max, eventually deteriorating the front left. The last few laps were tough, especially seeing Oscar (Piastry) getting closer and closer in the DRS range.
Antonelli was praised by Russell after the race, and the Italians returned favor by saying that his teammates were helping him develop and improve quickly.
“I know there’s still a lot to do and we’re trying to get faster at the start of the session, especially when it comes to qualifying. But we’re on a good path,” he said. “The team is doing a great job, and with George, he’s helping him push himself even further. There’s really good dynamics in the team.