“What an achievement”: Fans react as Kimi Antonelli joins the ranks of Lewis Hamilton in F1 feat

Kimi Antonelli’s impressive start to life in Formula 1 has seen him join the ranks of Lewis Hamilton in an exclusive club. The young Italian driver recently clinched a podium finish at the Canadian Grand Prix, which has stirred reactions among fans.

The Mercedes star, who is among the many rookies on the 2025 F1 grid, stormed to an impressive podium finish at the Montreal race. Antonelli, who had qualified fourth, finished third behind George Russell and Max Verstappen.

The third-place finish from the former Prema Racing driver saw him become the third-fastest driver to achieve a podium among the current F1 grid. This impeccable feat, which he achieved at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in just his 10th Grand Prix start with Mercedes, puts him behind Lance Stroll—who achieved it in eight starts—and Lewis Hamilton, who did it on his debut for McLaren, on the list of fastest drivers to record an F1 podium.

This impressive accomplishment has since spiraled into a barrage of reactions among motorsport fans who have shared their thoughts on X.

A fan, hailing the 18-year-old rookie, commented:

“What an achievement.”

AbuMusaab

@AbuMusa3b

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What an achievement

A second fan, who appeared a little more futuristic, also commented:

“Kimi Antonelli is already going strong, and he's just getting started. Only Hamilton achieved something similar in his debut... and the rest is history. Are we seeing the birth of the next big thing at Mercedes?”

Another fan, also praising the Mercedes driver, commented:

“Special talent, expect better results going forward, school's out! ⭐️”

North Pole F1

@NorthPoleF1

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Special talent, expect better results going forward, schools out! ⭐️

A fourth fan, detailing their thoughts, wrote:

“The kid’s not just following in Hamilton’s footsteps, he’s sprinting in them. 🥉🔥 Kimi Antonelli is here way ahead of schedule.”

Kimi Antonelli’s podium finish, aside from joining Lewis Hamilton as one of the fastest drivers to achieve a podium in F1, also made him one of the youngest to finish on the podium—behind Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll.

Lewis Hamilton on Kimi Antonelli’s success at Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton previously weighed in on Kimi Antonelli’s success at Mercedes during the Miami Grand Prix weekend. Antonelli stormed to pole position during the Sprint race of the Florida event.

The British driver, who joined Scuderia Ferrari for the 2025 season, was full of praise for Antonelli, who replaced him at the Mercedes team. Detailing his thoughts with the media following the accomplishment by the 18-year-old, Hamilton stated (via the Daily Express):

"I saw the video of Bono and Kimi and Toto, and it genuinely just brought warmth to my heart."

"I've been in that team for a long, long time. Bono is just the best, and I know there was a lot of question marks around whether or not to take on a more experienced driver. To then continue on and continue to work hard and get a pole – it kind of silences all the critics. I love to see that in an underdog. It's such a great story."

Lewis Hamilton, however, concluded with a subtle piece of advice for Antonelli, saying:

“I would just say to continue doing what he's doing – I think he knows what he's doing – and just continue to enjoy it.”

The pole position Antonelli achieved during the Miami Grand Prix Sprint made him the youngest driver in any Formula 1 event to clinch pole position. The young driver is also the best-performing rookie on the 2025 F1 grid.