Minardi: Antonelli's successes are a reason for pride!

      In a column on his official website, former owner of his own team Giancarlo Minardi commented on Kimi Antonelli's victory in Miami…

      Giancarlo Minardi: "In honor of Kimi Antonelli, the Italian national anthem was played again in Miami after the race finished, just a few hours after Gabriele Mini's success in Formula 2. For those who love this sport, such days hold special value.

      Italian motorsport is experiencing one of its best moments in recent years. The results achieved by Antonelli, Mini, and last year Leonardo Fornaroli confirm that the work done produces talents capable of succeeding at the highest international level.

      For me, in my role as an advisor to ACI, chairman of the Speed Commission, and head of the Federal School, which under the guidance of Raffaele Giammaria is reaching important milestones, this is a reason for pride.

      Antonelli once again demonstrated his skill throughout a flawlessly executed weekend, starting with a victory in qualifying. In the race, he confidently battled against world champions – the McLaren team and Lando Norris.

      We are talking about a 19-year-old young man who has enormous potential for growth, although for those who have followed him since karting, his successes were not unexpected. Year after year, he has been working towards the role he occupies today. I believe in him; he has a much more mature mentality than is usual for people his age.

      As expected, the forced break in the championship changed the balance of power. All teams had time to analyze the data collected in the first races, although there is still much work to be done, especially in terms of reliability.

      Ferrari has made a step forward, but for now, it is still not enough to pose a real challenge to Mercedes and McLaren. At the finish, Charles Leclerc made a mistake that cost him third place, and it was a challenging weekend for Lewis Hamilton as well. The same goes for George Russell, who does not like the Miami track and apparently the successes of his young teammate.

      Formula 1 moves to Canada, where teams will bring even more innovations. The season is still long, but it is very nice to see Antonelli with 100 points after four races. The entire Italian motorsport can be proud of this."