Verstappen never had doubts about Antonelli: 'I knew he'd make a jump'

Max Verstappen has been impressed by championship leader Kimi Antonelli for some time. Entering the summer break, Antonelli has a commanding lead in the drivers' standings. He is 50 points clear of Lewis Hamilton and 59 points ahead of his teammate, George Russell. Verstappen explained that Antonelli's talent could already be seen from a young age. He explained: "I think when he was still in go-karting, you could already see that he was one of the standout talents. Then, of course, you grow from the junior categories into the senior categories. "What was also very impressive, and I always say that drivers should do this before they go to cars, is to at least do a few races in a shifter category to learn a bit how to use the gears, how to race and how to do starts. I think in his first race he immediately pulled it off between the big guns in go-karting. Antonelli and Verstappen on the podium together at the Belgian GP - Photo: Race Pictures Antonelli and Verstappen on the podium together at the Belgian GP - Photo: Race Pictures "At that young age, you can see that raw talent, and then it just continued into cars. He also made quite a quick jump to Formula 1, and it’s normal that in your first year there are certain mistakes that you make. I think we all make them. Of course, when you’re driving for a top team, it’s always highlighted a little bit more." He added: "For me, there was never a doubt that he would make a jump the year after and already be a lot more consistently competitive. It’s normal in the progression of a driver. In your rookie season it can be quite tough, but at the moment, of course, he’s doing an amazing job." Verstappen on learning from his mistakes Similarly to Antonelli, Verstappen began his F1 career as a teenager. He said about his experience of adapting to the competition: "I guess in the first few years, because you didn’t really do a lot of car racing, you make some of the mistakes that you should normally be making in a lower category. You’re understanding car racing more, what you need from a car and what you want in terms of setup. "I probably had that learning curve in Formula 1 in my first two seasons. I would say it was a big learning curve, but once you’re given the opportunity, you can’t say no. For me, it was the right thing to do. Of course, your learning curve is probably a bit bigger in the first two years, but I was happy to do so."