Kimi Antonelli has opened up about the wisdom Roger Federer bestowed upon him during a visit to Wimbledon’s Royal Box.
The 19-year-old shared that the 20-time Grand Slam champion encouraged him to keep his emotions in check as he bids to win his maiden F1 drivers’ championship this season.
The Mercedes driver, who leads the standings by 25 points over team-mate George Russell after nine rounds, was a guest on Centre Court during the second week of the Championships, where he found himself seated alongside one of the greatest tennis players of all time.
“It was great. It was my first time at Wimbledon,” Antonelli told media, including RacingNews365, when asked about the experience ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.
“In the past couple of years, I’ve got more and more into tennis. Obviously, also knowing Jannik [Sinner], then you start watching, so it was a really cool experience.
“And also, to be able to talk with Roger, it was great. He told me a lot about the grass court, and also from his previous experiences.
“It was just great to chat with him about anything, to be fair; we chatted about my races, about when he used to play, or also about his life in general. So it was great, because I think other than an incredible athlete, he’s an incredible person as well; very humble and very open as well, so it was great.”
Antonelli’s relationship with Jannik Sinner, the current Men’s World Number 1 and a fellow Italian, has helped the teenager develop an interest in tennis, but it was Federer’s counsel on handling pressure that resonated most deeply as Antonelli navigates the demands of a title fight in only his second season in F1.
“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 your emotions, especially the ones that can make you make mistakes, so those were the main [pieces of] advice,” Antonelli added.
“But yeah, other than that, it was an incredible experience to witness.”