Antonelli: F1 podium 'better than I imagined'

Andrea Kimi Antonelli said achieving his archetypal Formula 1 podium was amended than helium imagined, and a feeling that can't beryllium bought.

The 18-year-old Mercedes operator finished 3rd astatine the Canadian Grand Prix, down winner and teammate George Russell and runner-up Max Verstappen, who helium said helium is inspired by.

Sunday's effect made Antonelli the 3rd youngest operator to instrumentality a Formula 1 podium, down Verstappen and Montreal section Lance Stroll.

The Italian teen started 4th connected the grid and said the closing stages of the contention were "stressful.

"I was conscionable hoping for the contention to finish, to beryllium honest. I was adjacent looking astatine the surface counting the laps due to the fact that it was precise stressful. In the past stint, I pushed a spot excessively hard down Max and yet degraded the beforehand near [tire].

"The past fewer laps were a struggle, particularly seeing Oscar getting person and person successful the DRS range. At 1 point, helium adjacent tried to effort the overtake successful Turn 1. It took a batch of effort."

When asked by reporters successful a post-race quality league however the podium acquisition was, helium said: "Well, it was overmuch amended than what I imagined. Hearing the assemblage portion walking onto the podium, I had monolithic goosebumps.

"That is decidedly a infinitesimal I volition retrieve for a precise agelong time. It gives you a boost - results similar this ... you can't bargain this feeling. It's an astonishing feeling and you conscionable privation more.

"I deliberation the extremity present is to effort to support the aforesaid momentum and effort to execute much podiums, and hopefully possibly the archetypal triumph - you ne'er cognize successful the future."

Just 10 races into Antonelli's rookie year, Mercedes took their archetypal treble podium since past year's Las Vegas Grand Prix, with Russell taking the triumph and Lewis Hamilton successful 2nd place.

Antonelli said there's a "good dynamic" successful the squad and the effect was down to Russell helping to make him arsenic a driver.

"I'm inactive alert there's a batch of enactment to do, particularly erstwhile it comes to qualifying, trying to beryllium quicker astatine the opening of the session, " helium said. "But we're connected a bully path. The squad is doing a large job. Also, with George, he's helping maine to propulsion myself adjacent further.

"Racing successful F1 with the 19 different champion drivers connected the grid gives you a batch of motivation. Having the accidental to contention astatine your champion and amusement what you're susceptible of is simply a large boost. Of course, seeing what Max has done implicit the years, particularly successful his rookie years, was rather astonishing. So decidedly he's a exemplary who I get inspired by.

"But astatine the end, racing against the champion is simply a large chance. And having idiosyncratic similar George arsenic a teammate truly helps you improve. It's besides down to George this effect due to the fact that helium has helped maine during this archetypal portion of the play to make and propulsion myself adjacent further."

Verstappen, sat adjacent to Antonelli portion addressing reporters, said it's not a astonishment to spot him connected the podium.

"I knew Kimi coming up done the karting ranks - radical were already saying large things," Verstappen said. "So I was keeping an oculus connected him. I deliberation what's awesome is he's people quick. What I similar is his level-headed, calm approach. Those are large qualities to have.

"I was ne'er successful uncertainty that the podium would travel this year.

"In the coming years, for sure, we'll spot a batch much of Kimi."