Latest news with #Bologna-born
The Star
15-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Star
Motor racing-Antonelli brings school to the track for home F1 debut
Formula One F1 - Emilia Romagna Grand Prix - Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola, Italy - May 15, 2025 Mercedes' Andrea Kimi Antonelli ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix REUTERS/Florion Goga IMOLA, Italy (Reuters) - Kimi Antonelli has not been able to attend school since he became a Mercedes Formula One driver so the 18-year-old brought his classmates to the racetrack ahead of his home debut this weekend. The Bologna-born driver is enjoying staying at home for the race at Imola, a drive east along the Roman Via Emilia, but bracing for plenty of attention as Italy's sole driver in Ferrari's backyard. "We were able to organise this for the school," he said after his entire class turned up in the paddock on Thursday. "I think it's a good way for them to see with their own eyes this world. "We've organised some activities... I'll show them the car and explain a bit, without going too much into detail. It's a good way to keep the relationship because I don't spend much time at home, so I don't see them often." Antonelli still intends to take his Maturita, the Italian high school diploma exam, and has been working on it. "I'm trying to study as much as I can, especially in those little moments I have free. I'm getting help from the school as well to try and catch up because I've definitely missed a lot of work during this time," said the rookie. "But it's not easy, because that also takes energy and effort. Especially ahead of such an important weekend, it's really important to manage that side, not to do too much in order to save energy. "But whenever I'm home or have a bit of time off, I try to do a little bit just to keep active and catch up as much as possible." Antonelli, who took the place of seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton when the Briton moved to Ferrari in January, is the top rookie this season after scoring in five of his six races so far. The Italian, who only passed his driving test in January, is already the youngest F1 racer to take a pole position of any sort -- in the Miami sprint this month -- and set fastest lap and lead a race. Imola will ratchet the attention up another level, the race also coming after rowdy scenes as local soccer side Bologna won the Italian cup on Wednesday to secure their first major trophy in 51 years. "This weekend is going to be emotionally and mentally draining -- a home race in front of the Italian fans and my family and friends will be attending," said Antonelli, who dreams of a first podium. "Already a normal weekend is very tiring and draining, so this is like double. Of course I'm going to try to protect myself. The fact that I've got really good people around me really helps. "At the same time, it's going to be really exciting. I think the energy is going to be amazing and that can be used to do even better on track. I'm really looking forward to see how we go this weekend." (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Toby Davis)
Straits Times
15-05-2025
- Automotive
- Straits Times
Antonelli brings school to the track for home F1 debut
IMOLA, Italy - Kimi Antonelli has not been able to attend school since he became a Mercedes Formula One driver so the 18-year-old brought his classmates to the racetrack ahead of his home debut this weekend. The Bologna-born driver is enjoying staying at home for the race at Imola, a drive east along the Roman Via Emilia, but bracing for plenty of attention as Italy's sole driver in Ferrari's backyard. "We were able to organise this for the school," he said after his entire class turned up in the paddock on Thursday. "I think it's a good way for them to see with their own eyes this world. "We've organised some activities... I'll show them the car and explain a bit, without going too much into detail. It's a good way to keep the relationship because I don't spend much time at home, so I don't see them often." Antonelli still intends to take his Maturita, the Italian high school diploma exam, and has been working on it. "I'm trying to study as much as I can, especially in those little moments I have free. I'm getting help from the school as well to try and catch up because I've definitely missed a lot of work during this time," said the rookie. "But it's not easy, because that also takes energy and effort. Especially ahead of such an important weekend, it's really important to manage that side, not to do too much in order to save energy. "But whenever I'm home or have a bit of time off, I try to do a little bit just to keep active and catch up as much as possible." Antonelli, who took the place of seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton when the Briton moved to Ferrari in January, is the top rookie this season after scoring in five of his six races so far. The Italian, who only passed his driving test in January, is already the youngest F1 racer to take a pole position of any sort -- in the Miami sprint this month -- and set fastest lap and lead a race. Imola will ratchet the attention up another level, the race also coming after rowdy scenes as local soccer side Bologna won the Italian cup on Wednesday to secure their first major trophy in 51 years. "This weekend is going to be emotionally and mentally draining -- a home race in front of the Italian fans and my family and friends will be attending," said Antonelli, who dreams of a first podium. "Already a normal weekend is very tiring and draining, so this is like double. Of course I'm going to try to protect myself. The fact that I've got really good people around me really helps. "At the same time, it's going to be really exciting. I think the energy is going to be amazing and that can be used to do even better on track. I'm really looking forward to see how we go this weekend." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The South African
04-05-2025
- Automotive
- The South African
Miami Grand Prix: FINAL grid positions after ALL driver penalties
Red Bull's Max Verstappen grabbed pole position for Sunday's Miami Grand Prix with a blistering fastest lap of 1:26.204 in qualifying on Saturday. The Dutchman was 0.065 of a second ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris with 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes again impressing as he powered into third place on the grid. There was more disappointment for seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton in his first season with Ferrari as he was eliminated in Q2 and the Briton will start in 12th place. Verstappen's aggressive approach in the first sector of his lap paid off and gives him a chance for a third win in four years at Miami. 'It has been a great qualifying. We improved the car a tiny amount too. Q1, Q2, Q3 – just improving every run, trying to find the limit. It worked out well. I'm very happy to be on pole,' said the Dutchman. 'Race pace, I don't know, we have to wait and see with the weather, to be honest the colder the better. No one has really done any long running with the sprint race here.' The Dutchman announced on Friday that he had become a father for the first time with his girlfriend Kelly Piquet giving birth to their first daughter, Lily. That has prompted some pundit speculation that he may slow down, reflecting a frequently heard belief of some in the sport that drivers can lose their edge with fatherhood. It is not a opinion that the Dutchman has much time for. 'I don't listen to these kind of silly things,' he said. 'I just do my thing. I think there enough racing drivers in the past that have been world champions even after having kids. Honestly, I don't even know where that comes from.' Norris, who won the sprint race earlier in the day to close the gap on championship leader and team-mate Oscar Piastri, was disappointed not to grab pole as he looks for a repeat of his win here last year but pleased with his performance level. 'I'm happy with today, happy with the progress I've been making with the car and myself. Max did a Max lap again, I can't fault him. It's all shoulda, woulda, coulda, I didn't deliver again but the pace is good. I still haven't put it together,' he said. 'I don't mind if it is dry or wet, I'll be ready for both.' Antonelli, who became the youngest driver to grab pole in any F1 race after he grabbed the top position for the sprint race, yet again showed his speed and potential. Although he was unable to make the most of his position in the sprint, finishing seventh, he is clearly in confident mood. 'This weekend is going well so far. A bit disappointing this morning, but good to bounce back this way. I struggled a little bit in quali, I didn't have a clean lap like yesterday. It's really about putting everything together and so far this weekend, I am doing that,' said the Bologna-born driver. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was a disappointing eighth, having never contended for the front row, and he could not disguise his emotions. 'The feeling is not great. But it's the way it is. It's just frustrating because when you do your best and the best is P8, with a Ferrari it hurts and the two Williams in front of us, I didn't do any mistakes… we are just not fast enough,' he said. Adding to the Scuderia's woes – Hamilton didn't even make it to the final session. 'We will keep trying. We are only six races in but we are struggling big time,' said the British driver who moved from Mercedes in the off-season. 'We are trying our hardest not to make big set-up changes but no matter what we do it's so inconsistent every time we go out. 'We have problems with brakes, problems with this instability that we are struggling with and we are generally not quick enough. Just to get through to Q3 is tough for us.' The race will start at 22:00 (SA time). Front row Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull) Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren) 2nd row Kimi Antonelli (ITA/Mercedes) Oscar Piastri (AUS/McLaren) 3rd row George Russell (GBR/Mercedes) Carlos Sainz (ESP/Williams) 4th row Alex Albon (THA/Williams) Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari) 5th row Esteban Ocon (FRA/Haas) Yuki Tsunoda (JPN/Red Bull) 6th row Isack Hadjar (FRA/RB) Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Ferrari) 7th row Gabriel Bortoleto (BRA/Sauber) Jack Doohan (AUS/Alpine) 8th row Liam Lawson (NZL/RB) Nico Hulkenberg (GER/Sauber) 9th row Fernando Alonso (ESP/Aston Martin) Pierre Gasly (FRA/Alpine) 10th row Lance Stroll (CAN/Aston Martin) Oliver Bearman (GBR/Haas) Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news. By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse
NDTV
04-05-2025
- Automotive
- NDTV
Max Verstappen Takes Pole Position For Miami Grand Prix
Red Bull's Max Verstappen grabbed pole position for Sunday's Miami Grand Prix with a blistering fastest lap of 1:26.204 in qualifying on Saturday. The Dutchman was 0.065 of a second ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris with 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes again impressing as he powered into third place on the grid. There was more disappointment for seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton in his first season with Ferrari as he was eliminated in Q2 and the Briton will start in 12th place. Verstappen's aggressive approach in the first sector of his lap paid off and gives him a chance for a third win in four years at Miami. "It has been a great qualifying. We improved the car a tiny amount too. Q1, Q2, Q3 -- just improving every run, trying to find the limit. It worked out well. I'm very happy to be on pole," said the Dutchman. "Race pace, I don't know, we have to wait and see with the weather, to be honest the colder the better. No one has really done any long running with the sprint race here." The Dutchman announced on Friday that he had become a father for the first time with his girlfriend Kelly Piquet giving birth to their first daughter, Lily. That has prompted some pundit speculation that he may slow down, reflecting a frequently heard belief of some in the sport that drivers can lose their edge with fatherhood. It is not a opinion that the Dutchman has much time for. "I don't listen to these kind of silly things," he said. "I just do my thing. I think there enough racing drivers in the past that have been world champions even after having kids. Honestly, I don't even know where that comes from." A 'Max lap' Norris, who won the sprint race earlier in the day to close the gap on championship leader and teammate Oscar Piastri, was disappointed not to grab pole as he looks for a repeat of his win here last year but pleased with his performance level. "I'm happy with today, happy with the progress I've been making with the car and myself. Max did a Max lap again, I can't fault him. It's all shoulda, woulda, coulda, I didn't deliver again but the pace is good. I still haven't put it together," he said. "I don't mind if it is dry or wet, I'll be ready for both." Antonelli, who became the youngest driver to grab pole in any F1 race after he grabbed the top position for the sprint race, yet again showed his speed and potential. Although he was unable to make the most of his position in the sprint, finishing seventh, he is clearly in confident mood. "This weekend is going well so far. A bit disappointing this morning, but good to bounce back this way. I struggled a little bit in quali, I didn't have a clean lap like yesterday. It's really about putting everything together and so far this weekend, I am doing that," said the Bologna-born driver. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was a disappointing eighth, having never contended for the front row, and he could not disguise his emotions. "The feeling is not great. But it's the way it is. It's just frustrating because when you do your best and the best is P8, with a Ferrari it hurts and the two Williams in front of us, I didn't do any mistakes... we are just not fast enough," he said. Adding to the Scuderia's woes -- Hamilton didn't even make it to the final session. "We will keep trying. We are only six races in but we are struggling big time," said the British driver who moved from Mercedes in the off-season. "We are trying our hardest not to make big set-up changes but no matter what we do it's so inconsistent every time we go out. "We have problems with brakes, problems with this instability that we are struggling with and we are generally not quick enough. Just to get through to Q3 is tough for us."
Malay Mail
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Malay Mail
New dad, same speed: Verstappen flies to Miami pole as Hamilton hits Ferrari slump
MIAMI, May 4 — Red Bull's Max Verstappen grabbed pole position for Sunday's Miami Grand Prix with a blistering fastest lap of 1:26.204 in qualifying on Saturday. The Dutchman was 0.065 seconds ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris, while 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes again impressed by powering into third place on the grid. There was more disappointment for seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton in his first season with Ferrari as he was eliminated in Q2 and will start in 12th place. Verstappen's aggressive approach in the first sector paid off and gives him a chance for a third win in four years at Miami. 'It has been a great qualifying. We improved the car a tiny amount too. Q1, Q2, Q3 — just improving every run, trying to find the limit. It worked out well. I'm very happy to be on pole,' said Verstappen. 'Race pace, I don't know. We have to wait and see with the weather. To be honest, the colder the better. No one has really done any long running with the sprint race here.' The Dutchman announced on Friday that he had become a father for the first time, with his girlfriend Kelly Piquet giving birth to their daughter, Lily. That prompted speculation among some pundits that fatherhood might slow him down — a belief occasionally heard in the sport that drivers lose their edge once they become parents. It is not a view Verstappen takes seriously. 'I don't listen to these kinds of silly things,' he said. 'I just do my thing. I think there are enough racing drivers in the past that have been world champions even after having kids. Honestly, I don't even know where that comes from.' A 'Max lap' Norris, who won the sprint race earlier in the day to close the gap on championship leader and teammate Oscar Piastri, was disappointed not to grab pole as he eyes a repeat of his win here last year, but said he was pleased with his performance. 'I'm happy with today, happy with the progress I've been making with the car and myself. Max did a Max lap again, I can't fault him. It's all shoulda, woulda, coulda. I didn't deliver again but the pace is good. I still haven't put it together,' said the Briton. 'I don't mind if it is dry or wet, I'll be ready for both.' Antonelli, who became the youngest driver to grab pole in any F1 race after taking the top position for the sprint race, again showed his speed and potential. Although he could not capitalise on his sprint pole, finishing seventh, he remains confident. 'This weekend is going well so far. A bit disappointing this morning, but good to bounce back this way. I struggled a little bit in quali, I didn't have a clean lap like yesterday. It's really about putting everything together and so far this weekend, I am doing that,' said the Bologna-born driver. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc qualified a disappointing eighth, having never contended for the front row, and he could not hide his frustration. 'The feeling is not great. But it's the way it is. It's just frustrating because when you do your best and the best is P8, with a Ferrari it hurts, and the two Williams in front of us — I didn't do any mistakes... we are just not fast enough,' he said. Adding to Ferrari's woes, Hamilton failed to reach the final session. 'We will keep trying. We are only six races in but we are struggling big time,' said the British driver, who moved from Mercedes in the off-season. 'We are trying our hardest not to make big set-up changes but no matter what we do it's so inconsistent every time we go out. We have problems with brakes, problems with this instability that we are struggling with, and we are generally not quick enough. Just to get through to Q3 is tough for us.' — AFP
