Max Verstappen Jokes Antonelli’s Italian Skills Are the Real Edge

Max Verstappen jokes about key difference with Kimi Antonelli at 20: “He speaks Italian!”

Following the Mexico Grand Prix, Kimi Antonelli has entered the history books as Formula 1’s youngest-ever world champion.

The Italian has taken the record from Sebastian Vettel, who had already said at Monza that he would be delighted for Antonelli to break it and that records are there to be broken.

Under the current superlicence rules, it will be an enormous challenge to lower Antonelli's record (20 years, two months and seven days) any further, as someone would have to clinch a maiden world title while a teenager.

All of this underlines just how special Antonelli's achievement is.

Verstappen gave a rather matter-of-fact response shortly before the Italian secured the title when asked what exactly sets the Mercedes protege apart from most young drivers.

“More talent,” Verstappen said.

Asked whether it really is that simple, the four-time world champion continued: “Well, that certainly helps a lot. And of course, he's also had proper guidance from a very young age with his father. His dad knows a lot more about racing than the average father, and if your son then has a huge amount of talent, that already helps a lot.”

Alongside Marco Antonelli's guidance, there is naturally also the trust and support of Mercedes, something Antonelli himself regularly highlights.

Team principal Toto Wolff has always stood by his protege, even during the difficult moments last year, and with the experienced Peter Bonnington among those working alongside him, Antonelli could hardly wish for a better environment.

When Verstappen is asked what quality Antonelli possesses that Verstappen himself did not have at the age of 20, the Dutchman raises a laugh by responding with a completely straight face: “Well, he speaks Italian…”

Aside from the fact that Verstappen's Italian vocabulary is significantly less impressive, the Red Bull driver stresses that the two situations cannot really be compared.

Antonelli's rise has been remarkable.

He entered F1 at a time when Mercedes was undergoing a transition, with Lewis Hamilton moving to Ferrari and the team placing its faith in a 19-year-old rookie.

Antonelli repaid that trust by delivering consistent performances across the season, culminating in a title-clinching drive in Mexico City.

Verstappen, by contrast, entered F1 at 17 with Toro Rosso, winning his first race for Red Bull in 2016 at the Spanish Grand Prix.

He became the youngest race winner in F1 history at 18, a record that still stands.

But Verstappen did not win his first world title until 2021, at age 24, after a controversial season-long battle with Hamilton.

Antonelli's title at 20 means he has beaten Verstappen to that milestone by four years.

The superlicence rules introduced after Verstappen's early debut make it nearly impossible for another teenager to enter F1, meaning Antonelli's record as the youngest champion may stand for decades.

The FIA requires drivers to be at least 18 and to have earned 40 superlicence points through junior categories, effectively barring anyone under 17 from racing in F1.

Antonelli's path was smoothed by his karting success and a dominant Formula 2 campaign in 2024, which earned him the required points before his 18th birthday.

Verstappen's joke about Italian skills is typical of his public persona.

The Dutchman is known for dry humor and deflecting questions about rivals with a quip rather than a deep analysis.

But beneath the joke, Verstappen acknowledged the substance of Antonelli's achievement.

“More talent,” he said first, before adding context about family support and team environment.

That combination — raw ability, elite coaching from his father Marco, and Mercedes' full backing — is what Verstappen sees as the real difference.

Marco Antonelli, a former karting champion himself, has guided Kimi since childhood.

Kimi Antonelli often credits his father for teaching him the technical side of racing, from setup work to tire management.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has described Antonelli as “the most complete young driver I have ever worked with.”

Peter Bonnington, who previously engineered Hamilton's race-winning campaigns, now works with Antonelli, providing continuity in strategy and communication.

Verstappen's joke also highlights a cultural difference.

Antonelli is Italian, racing for a German team, but speaking multiple languages is common in the F1 paddock.

Verstappen himself speaks Dutch, English, and some German, but has admitted his Italian is limited.

The exchange occurred during a media session ahead of the São Paulo Grand Prix, where Verstappen was also asked about his own form and Red Bull's performance struggles in 2026.

Red Bull has faced increased competition from Mercedes and Ferrari this season, with Antonelli's title being the clearest sign of Mercedes' resurgence.

Verstappen's response, while lighthearted, also serves as a reminder that he remains the four-time reigning champion and is not yet ready to cede the spotlight.

He leads the 2026 drivers' standings heading into the final rounds, though the margin has shrunk compared to previous years.

Antonelli's title has shifted the narrative of the season, turning attention to the new generation.

Sebastian Vettel, whose record Antonelli broke, publicly congratulated the Italian, saying records are made to be surpassed.