Lewis Hamilton Praises Kimi Antonelli’s Pole and Calls Him the Underdog Story He Loves

Kimi Antonelli’s stunning pole position in a soaked Miami GP Sprint Qualifying left the paddock buzzing — and drew a warm reaction from none other than Lewis Hamilton.

Speaking after reposting Mercedes’ emotional garage video featuring race engineer Peter Bonnington (aka “Bono”), team principal Toto Wolff, and Antonelli, Hamilton opened up about what the moment meant to him.

“I saw the video of Bono, Kimi, and Toto and it just brought warmth to my heart,” Hamilton said. “Honestly, I’ve been in that team for a long time. Bono is just, you know, the best."

"And I know there were a lot of questions around whether or not to take on a more experienced driver. To then just continue to work hard and get a pole — it kind of silences all the critics. I love to see that in an underdog. Such a great story,” he added.

Kimi Antonelli celebrates after finishing third during Miami GP qualifying.

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

At just 18, Antonelli became one of the youngest drivers to take Formula 1 pole. He then delivered an incredible performance in the Sprint race in chaotic, wet conditions that caught several veterans out, including Charles Leclerc who crashed during the formation lap.

Hamilton added that he hadn’t seen the race start yet but acknowledged just how difficult the conditions were. “We haven’t had any running in the rain here… that was definitely a very, very tough scenario,” he said. “To have the two fastest right beside you is always tough.”

As for advice? Hamilton kept it simple: “Continue to do what he’s doing. I think he knows what he’s doing — just continue to enjoy it.”

Antonelli’s moment didn’t just inspire Mercedes — it inspired one of the sport’s greats.