Italian Kimi Antonelli had the best weekend of his F1 career. The 19-year-old Mercedes driver achieved a historic milestone by finishing second in this Sunday’s (11/9) São Paulo Grand Prix, becoming the rookie with the most points in this category in a season.
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Kimi Antonelli finished the race in 2nd place
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It was a great weekend for the young Italian.
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Kimi Antonelli took second place
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With his result at Interlagos, Antonelli reached 122 points after 21 stages, surpassing Lewis Hamilton’s record of 109 points in his debut year with McLaren in 2007. The young Italian also finished second in the sprint race on Saturday (8/11), adding seven important points and completing an almost perfect weekend.
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Antonelli’s trajectory has been notable not only for his performances, but also for his meteoric rise. He jumped directly from F3 to F1 without going through F2, which is a rarity in modern motorsport. Still, the rookie showed maturity befitting his age.
Before reaching the podium in Sao Paulo, the Italian had already finished third at the Canadian Grand Prix in June. He currently occupies seventh place in the Drivers’ World Championship, cementing his place among the highlights of the season.
In contrast, Hamilton debuted under a different scoring system, with only the top eight receiving points and the winner receiving 10 points. Currently, the top 10 earn points and a win is worth 25. Additionally, sprint races such as Saturday (8/11) will also affect the numbers.
With three races remaining on the 2025 calendar, Antonelli could still improve on his record and finish his debut season among the biggest names in the new generation of F1.
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