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Kimi Antonelli proved he is a racer through and through after arriving in Sao Paulo this week. Just days after becoming Formula One's youngest champion ever, all he was thinking about was the next race. And winning it. "We just want to win more and more," he said. "We're in Brazil and the goal is to try to win this weekend." It's the sort of attitude that defines the greats, an insatiable desire for more and more success.
Yet that often comes hand-in-hand with arrogance and an inflated ego, traits Antonelli has shown no signs of possessing. Indeed his boss, Toto Wolff, says he is a different breed of F1 champion.
"This notion of win at all costs. Selfish, opportunistic, ruthless for your own benefit – that model of racing driver has died," the Austrian declared. "We have a new champion that represents values like humility, integrity, loyalty, respect."
Antonelli is also sentimental – the photo of him sitting on the shoulders of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen on the podium in Mexico after he confirmed his crown will be framed and put on a wall at home, he said.
He plans to continue racing with the number 12, snubbing the opportunity to show off his world champion status with the number one on his car, to keep paying homage to his racing idol. Ayrton Senna raced with the same number in the year he too became world champion for the first time.
He is also racing in Sao Paulo with a tribute helmet to the lost Brazilian legend, and spent time with the Senna family in Sao Paulo this week. He was gifted a bust of his idol, created by his niece Paula, who is at Interlagos this weekend.
Ayrton remains rightly revered around the world, though Antonelli can eclipse everything his idol ever achieved. He is still four years younger than Senna was when he debuted in F1 back in 1984.
Antonelli could even match or beat the Brazilian's three-time world champion status by the time he too is 24. Even if he doesn't meet that timeline, he has another 20 years at the pinnacle of motorsport if he wants it.
Like it once was for Senna, the world is at Antonelli's feet. F1's next superstar has been born.
Big moments. Packed grandstands. A championship battle that’s heating up.
When the Formula 1 season delivers like this, watching from home just isn’t the same as being there when the lights go out.
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