Current Formula 1 drivers’ championship leader Kimi Antonelli has revealed the invaluable advice he received from 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer at Wimbledon.
Following a disappointing British Grand Prix, in which he finished 15th after one of his wheel covers became dislodged and he received a track limits penalty, the Italian driver was spotted in the prestigious Royal Box at Wimbledon alongside Federer.
Antonelli was asked about his interaction with Federer during the drivers’ press conference ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.
“It was great. It was my first time at Wimbledon. In the past couple of years, I’ve got more and more into tennis,” the Mercedes driver explained. “Obviously, also knowing Jannik [Sinner], you start watching. So, it was a really cool experience, and also to be able to talk with Roger was great.”
Federer offered the 19-year-old advice on how to deal with pressure while also discussing tennis and “life in general”.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Photo by: Guido De Bortoli / LAT Images via Getty Images
“He told me a lot about the grass court and also about his previous experiences,” Antonelli continued. “It was just great to chat with him about anything, to be fair. We chatted about my races. We chatted about when he used to play, and also about his life in general.
“So, it was great because I think he’s also, other than an incredible athlete, an incredible person. Very humble and very open. So, it was great. About pressure, he just told me to really focus on one race at a time, just focus on what you can control, and also to control the emotions, especially the ones that can make you make mistakes. Those were the main pieces of advice. Other than that, it was an incredible experience.”
Antonelli heads into the Belgian Grand Prix with a 25-point advantage over his team-mate George Russell in the championship.
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