Italian Kimi Antonelli had the best weekend of his Formula 1 career. The Mercedes driver, who is only 19 years old, finished the Sao Paulo Grand Prix in second place on Sunday (11/9) and achieved a historic feat: he became the rookie with the most points in a single season in this category.
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Kimi Antonelli finished the race in second place
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It was the best weekend for Italian youth
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Kimi Antonelli finished second
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With the result at Interlagos, Antonelli reached 122 points after 21 stages, surpassing the record held by Lewis Hamilton, who scored 109 points in his first year with McLaren, in 2007. The young Italian also finished second in the Sprint race, on Saturday (11/8), adding 7 important points and ending an almost perfect weekend.
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Antonelli’s path draws attention not only for his performance, but also for his rapid rise: he jumped directly from Formula 3 to Formula 1, without passing through Formula 2, which is a rarity in current motorsport. However, the rookie has shown maturity for his age.
Before the podium in Sao Paulo, the Italian had finished third at the Canadian Grand Prix in June. Now, it is ranked seventh in the World Drivers’ Championship, cementing its place among the highlights of the season.
In comparison, Hamilton debuted under a different scoring system, with only the top eight scoring points, and the winner receiving ten points. Today, the top ten score points, and victory is worth 25. Moreover, sprint races, like Saturday (8/11), also affect the numbers.
With three races remaining on the 2025 calendar, Antonelli could still extend his record and finish his first season among the big names in the new generation of Formula 1.
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