By: Just over 20 years old (20 years and two months), yet he already has the heart of a lion. Italian driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli could see his dream come true at the end of the upcoming Mexican GP (30 October - 1 November). He needs very little. He could win the title even with a retirement. It will be three intense days of waiting, far more intense than those spent in Austin. In the United States, he had his first match point, but the chances of success were very slim then; here, however, finishing ninth will be enough to crown him champion, regardless of the results of Russell and Hamilton.
It is a title he would already deserve, moreover, for the character he is showing. Andrea Kimi Antonelli is only 20, but already speaks like a driver with twice — indeed three times — his experience.
The episode
I do not know whether you noticed the answer he gave live on Sky last weekend in Austin, shortly before the race. Reporter Davide Camicioli asked him whether Saturday’s pole had come from a perfect lap on his part, but Kimi, without giving it much thought, replied in his frank and direct manner: “The perfect lap does not exist.”
Knowing he is imperfect and not worrying about it
Many drivers chase perfection, but Kimi speaks with the wisdom of the greats — wisdom entirely at odds with someone his age: perfection does not exist.
We are all used to seeking perfection, wanting it, craving it, chasing it. Antonelli is not. He has already understood that doing so would be a futile, even harmful, effort. One of the Italian’s many strengths lies precisely in this: knowing he is imperfect and not worrying about it. Because to win, just as to achieve an objective, you must always give your best and set ambitious targets, but you must never chase a chimera. You must be able to distinguish between what can be achieved and what is impossible. At 20, this too is part of Kimi’s strength.
Cover and interior photos by Luca Martini / WHYOUT Images
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