Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00it looks awful it does look awful i believe there's been at least nine brake failures this
00:08year mercedes can suddenly seemingly be an underdog now with this one big cataclysmic move
00:15is really opened up
00:30in f1 there is zero room for error
00:36it demands absolutely everything of all 2 000 people on the team
00:46the cars are the most technologically advanced machines ever built
00:52and only the very best in the world have what it takes to drive them
01:00a fraction of a second is the difference between first and tenth one moment you can be on top of the podium
01:08and the next you're searching for answers
01:11on the day that when louis broke the news to me
01:28george stayed overnight to make it to a sim session the following day so i told him listen
01:32you've got to be out of the house because louis comes at 10 and i think i know what's going to happen
01:36and so louis came we had a coffee
01:39and as we started to talk more serious he said i just gotta tell you something i've
01:44i've signed with ferrari
01:46it was like really you're doing this emotionally then my reaction was
01:53a bit weird because we've been so long with each other louis is my second longest relationship
01:59um as a partner of my wife susie
02:02in formula one you're very much under the magnifying glass because the media is everywhere
02:07i just knew that no matter what we did next
02:11it needed to stay quiet
02:13okay let's get to the day's biggest and probably most shocking transfer it comes from formula one
02:21the sports most successful driver in history this man louis hamilton will leave mercedes yes leave
02:27the team that he's become so synonymous with the move can only really be compared to when david
02:32beckham left manu that kind of fever around an announcement it's very rare to see in sport but
02:38when it happens it's huge nobody expected it certainly mercedes didn't expect it i don't
02:43think anyone expected it i was shocked the emotions were all over the place i hoped that i would have
02:49seen out my days with lewis as an engineer lewis hamilton is mercedes the factory in brackley the
02:56engineers in stuttgart the thousands working in the garage they're all a part of his story just as he is
03:02a part of this in formula one there are only spots for 20 drivers a seat in any formula one team is
03:11something but a seat at mercedes is another thing all together when the news broke toto's phone just
03:17blew up pretty much every driver on the grid who was potentially free for 2025 was getting in touch
03:22with him who is going to replace you come on us alex albon don't forget esteban ocon if you were able
03:28to snatch max it would sort of come full circle considering what you've been through together the
03:32one last name that i want to bring up as somebody who has been referenced for the mercedes seat that i
03:38do not think is going to happen but i think we should mention is kimmy antonelli there's no way toto's
03:42going to put a brand new rookie in the mercedes no one's gone from f4 to f1 overnight when it
03:49comes to looking for a new driver what's at stake is simply everything
03:58and then yeah we've just grown and grown and growing and now we've got the this circuit and
04:03also the nice facilities with the new clubhouse and so on so what's the weather look like this weekend
04:08cold hopefully not wet but it looks like there might be a little bit
04:21i received the whatsapp call from toto to announce me that lewis was leaving he's not used to call me
04:29early in the morning the timing was surprising but you have to understand that we are working since
04:37nine years uh to get ready for uh this day so my role is uh to go on a go-kart track and to try to
04:46find uh the driver who will be a world champion
04:50right guys listen up just remember that carting is non-contact sport okay just make sure that you're
05:10following obviously the regulations that you've signed on to also just important make sure you follow the
05:15flags that are out there on the circuit other than that make sure you have just lifting you're
05:20one a lot wider so maybe you cut it back a little bit more you're breaking out loads more than me in
05:24there yeah you how you you make did you make the cooler though you know it's drying out really quick
05:29go-kart is where everything starts that's where you are learning how to race all right
05:34not overconfident today we have hundred thousand kids all around the world and you have one capable
05:47of becoming formula one driver i received a lot of calls to tell me ah you should have a look on this
05:56kid is special antoneli from bologna he's third in the series but he starts this race from pole position
06:03they will battle not only for the race but for the european junior championship let's wait for
06:08the european junior championship we go green absolutely will lead them down into turn number one
06:15he's gone from first to fifth his championship hopes are disappearing before his eyes
06:20it's a muscle form position a big hustle from kimmy antonelli around the outside now the race is on
06:27antonelli down the inside of skintzorne it's a drag race this is a wonderful return to the top of the
06:39podium and that is how you win in dominant fashion
06:50the team is coming from a family where there is a background in motorsports his dad was racing we
07:04were impressed with his talent so we signed him at 12. he was obviously different immediately on the
07:16data the data the laptop's already out do you remember these lap times of all the sessions that
07:22really needed in his life do you remember when we did the racing more laps yeah what was your lap time
07:28you call it was a 50 to 9. let's check somehow the way was racing was very mature considering his age
07:39and his experience i put kimmy name on the table to get the seat of course we had some question marks
07:49do we want to take the risk with a young driver or are we looking at someone with more experience
07:54i'm lucky there's a good group of people with whom i can brainstorm
08:13have a look at the data not bad for kimmy's first time in f1 machinery
08:17and antonelli scrambling for transition kimmy finished p4 fast at the start but struggled with
08:25grip late in the race and antonelli is finally past colapinto and max verstappen cruises over the line
08:35to win his ninth grand prix of the year
08:43kimmy antonelli with his first win in formula two
09:05uh we've organized that whatsapp call to break the news so this is about you kimmy
09:13do you have mercedes formula one driver next year
09:20oh my god um that's a great news
09:26you're 17 years old um you're you're very young there's not a lot of um formula racing in your life
09:34but if you consider two and a half years you were doing formula four and putting you in in a car
09:41in the formula one car exposing you to this world uh there's going to be a lot of different pressures
09:46that's going to come onto you not only driving the car and being your little barber in the cockpit
09:52but the pressures that will come in by being a mercedes driver
09:56all right kimmy what's your first memory you have when i was little i used to play with these little
10:03cars on the on the floor of the house and i remember i used to make my own race track and move the
10:10cars around and even commentating the race oh and here he comes kimmy antonelli um running outside in
10:16hairpin takes the lead of the race what a move yeah something it was something like this yeah
10:23f1 is the pinnacle of motorsport so it's a dream to be where i am now
10:41have you got the previous measurement from when we made the seat the new one's going to be dinner
10:45you can see even in the shoulders let's make sure the seat is ready to go so we can get started right
10:51away kimmy should be here any minute yeah this is going to take all day to get it right i wish
11:00everybody took this much care when it came to making a seat you want me to be honest
11:09my first encounter with kimmy was i was just sitting at my desk working
11:14and a child came up to my desk and said hello and i thought they'd lost their dad
11:21and when he shook my hand he has the same strength that all drivers have in their hands and thought
11:27oh this is a driver oh it's kimmy we will need to do a quick helmet measurement so how's that on the eye
11:34line now what do you think what i'll probably do is i'll tuck a bit in and then i'll get the feedback
11:41on it again yeah thank you and then you can climb out really carefully you can step in it if you want
11:46but if you can do it without then that's great
11:58it's quick eh if you give me like a weight target yep i can reach that because now i'm like 66 yeah but if
12:09you need if you need me to be 70 with kids i can be 70 with kids yeah well what i wouldn't be which is
12:17consistent no no the same number every week day in day out that is fine when you can put the illness
12:27what's it going to be like working with a young driver the thing is i don't know kimmy doesn't even
12:30have his driver's license yet so uh and it's a different kind of pressure because there's a lot
12:36of expectation on such a a young guy super talented but he's not proven yet but that's that's my job to
12:43prove him out and make sure that we can turn him into another world champion you don't visualize
12:49not a huge amount i do a lot but more racing or just everything everything but mainly racing yeah
12:57i do a mistake in the race and it compromises a little bit the result i picture like oh what if i
13:02defended better if i stopped more at the apex and he didn't like switch back what could have yeah
13:09yeah could have been could have been i don't know i kind of also visualize a bit the future
13:15maybe money i manifest you need me to jump in the car
13:21lower back still feels okay yes okay distance the wheel feels okay so this distance yes i'm happy with
13:28it yeah we're pretty much there with the seat perfect okay if you can you stay in 15 minutes
13:37just 15 minutes okay don't be don't be upsetting it too much don't be wriggling too much on that shoulder
13:53in addition to speed there's a load of while that you need to
14:02pick up about how to make a tire last a race distance
14:11he needs to know how to do safety cars
14:13he needs to know how to come into the pits have you imagined pulling into a parking space doing 60
14:25except the parking space is made of humans and if you hit them you hurt them
14:29i don't think i've said hello yet by the way nice to meet you we're going to do some more pictures now
14:45i can go yeah yeah didn't you tell me before
14:48i don't think i want to know how to do some of the things i want to do some of the things i want to do
15:02oh no
15:06get the head out of the track
15:12oh no
15:18When you go anything over 20 or 30 long, then you'll start to see the issues that you saw then where the guys are machining nuts or they just can't get the wheels off.
15:39We're asking the guys to achieve sub-two second pit stops and if the driver comes flying into the box, wheels locked, then the guys are just going to be spooked and they're going to have a real slow stop.
16:09Kill the engine, Kimmy. Hands down. Can we get a doctor for the pit lane, please?
16:24Sorry.
16:39It was quite a big delay because the wheel got caught in the poles. It was coming off the left rear. It was in the right place. It seemed fine. It was just the rest of it.
16:52For me, it's really scary the first time. Why are you getting into the tunnel? That was like really focusing on like...
17:00Yeah, because when I put them on, I wake up and feel you crank it and when you hit the deck, then I let go. But you didn't hit the deck. You lit up the air. And me.
17:16You can laugh about it, mate. It's fine.
17:23Kimmy, let's call it a day for now.
17:25Team, that's a wrap for today. Thank you for your hard work.
17:32Through the chicane, Antonelli navigates it perfectly. Through the final turn, the chequer flag is ready to wait. Antonelli wins the final race.
17:42To Marco Antonelli, because Lyons from the cockpit celebrates with the team.
17:46My dad at the racetrack, he taught me everything he knew.
17:50He wasn't as lucky as me in his career, because he didn't get the same support I got.
17:57So I felt like all this was not only for myself, but it was also for him.
18:02I carried his legacy.
18:06I kind of suffered in the first couple of years, because it was a bit tough on me.
18:13But then they realized that it was making me improving.
18:18I was so happy because I made him proud.
18:21What the planning is at the moment, we must not talk to anyone.
18:30How we want to do it is to announce free practice one for Kimmy in Monza.
18:37And our current plan is to, right after FP1 in Monza, we do a press conference and we announce Kimmy as a driver.
18:45Which is going to be big, bigger, the biggest that has ever been, because there was no Italian driver for a long time.
18:54There are few places on the planet more synonymous with racing than Italy.
18:59Formula One's return to Monza, this time has a home hero.
19:03Andrea Kimmy Antonelli.
19:06Antonelli will make his F1 debut.
19:09This week out on home soil.
19:11I was a bit nervous. My dream was about to become true.
19:15You are not very often in photo.
19:18He's going to have one hour during this free practice session to introduce himself to the world.
19:25Take it easy.
19:25Don't hurt yourself. Don't break my car.
19:28There is so much pressure on Kimmy Antonelli.
19:31Just 18 years of age, had his birthday just a few days ago.
19:35The expectation is so great.
19:37And that's got to mess with you a little bit.
19:39It put Antonelli behind the wheel of George Russell's car.
19:45I remember sitting in the car and seeing all the people in the grandstand.
19:50There was a sea of Italian fans ready to embrace their new hero.
19:55I remember, like, I had goosebumps in the car and I was, like, really trying my best to stay calm.
20:08Immediately, Antonelli is off to a roaring start on the soft tyres.
20:12He's leaving nothing out there.
20:19Antonelli has a quick first lap.
20:23It looks like he's pushing again here.
20:28He just took the second sector even faster.
20:33This could be the fastest lap of the day.
20:38Antonelli spins into the gravel mids of the wall.
20:43Antonelli spins into the car.
20:44Antonelli spins into the car.
20:45Antonelli spins into the car.
20:46Antonelli spins into the car.
20:47Antonelli spins into the car.
20:48Antonelli spins into the car.
20:49Antonelli spins into the car.
20:50Antonelli spins into the car.
20:51Antonelli spins into the car.
20:52Antonelli spins into the car.
20:53Antonelli spins into the car.
20:54Antonelli spins into the car.
20:55Antonelli spins into the car.
20:56Antonelli spins into the car.
20:57Antonelli spins into the car.
20:58Antonelli spins into the car.
20:59Antonelli spins into the car.
21:00Antonelli spins into the car.
21:01Antonelli spins into the car.
21:02Antonelli spins into the car.
21:03Antonelli spins into the car.
21:04Antonelli spins into the car.
21:05All good, Gibby.
21:14The 18-year-old, the hope for Mercedes into the barrier
21:19on his first outing in Formula 1.
21:22It's a fine line between being a hero and a villain,
21:25and he's just done exactly that.
21:27One lap, hero, he's right on the pace.
21:29Second lap, you try and get back to the top, and it ends.
21:31It's not the start to Formula 1
21:34that Mercedes had hoped for for Kimi Antonelli.
21:41That day, I let down all my family, my dad.
21:45He was not happy. He didn't expect that it would have happened.
21:50Kimi Antonelli has gone to the medical centre.
21:53That is his car, his Mercedes, at the side of the track.
21:57After the crash, they did some checks
21:59because the impact was really big.
22:01But I remember laying in that bed.
22:06I just wanted to stay on my own.
22:09I cried as well.
22:11I didn't want to see anyone.
22:15I just wanted to go home, to be honest.
22:19I was sad for him because I know
22:21that he would have walked away from that
22:23certain that he'd let the occasion get to him.
22:27And that's the very thing, of course,
22:30that is his biggest foe.
22:33The incident of Monza, let's say, has a lot of signs.
22:41A Monza...
22:43It was a shock.
22:47It was a shock.
22:47I remember that I was crying for a day and a half.
22:50In the paddock.
22:52And any person I met
22:53who told me that I tried to ensure that I was
22:56the same Mercedes.
22:58I tried to ensure that I was crying.
22:59I cried because I couldn't be able to get to it.
23:01I told him that I was crying for a long time.
23:03And I was sorry for a long time.
23:08Into the gravel and into the wall.
23:10It's a fine line between being a hero and a villain.
23:13He's not doing enough in Formula 2
23:15to give me the inspiration that I feel
23:17he's ready to start winning Grand Prix.
23:19That is a ludicrously high bar
23:21to set off the start of Formula 1
23:24that Mercedes had hoped for,
23:26Kimi Antonella.
23:27Hey, Kimi.
23:29I know today was embarrassing.
23:31But even in one and a half laps,
23:33we saw something that you just can't teach.
23:35You should see how excited the team are.
23:38Make sure you sleep well.
23:39Get a good rest.
23:40Tomorrow's a new day.
23:42The big announcement.
23:48The difference between free practice and qualifying
23:51we need to discuss.
23:52But that's also Kimi.
23:57This is a pressure cooker.
23:58Mercedes always has been a pressure cooker.
24:00But this is where we stand as a team today.
24:02We want to go with this too.
24:08Let's go.
26:39Certe volte me la sogno di notte, di entrare in macchina, andare in pista, come se stessi vivendo il weekend di gara.
26:50Non ho sognato risultati in qualifica, non ho sognato di essere lì.
27:00Non ho sognato, non ho sognato di essere lì.
27:30A volte penso, tutte le volte che ti ho sguidato, tutte le volte che mi sono arrabbiato con te, che dicevi, mio padre è uno strozzo, perché fa così?
27:39Perché io che nella mia carriera purtroppo non ho saputo sfruttare, non ho saputo, non ho potuto.
27:52Insomma, non sono riuscito.
27:53Era un motivo di scontro perché probabilmente ti stavo anche chiedendo di più di quello che potevi fare in quel momento.
28:07Tira via.
28:21Porti i piatti, poi prima ti chiediamo Andrea.
28:30Oh, guarda che bello.
28:31No, tira via i piatti piani.
28:34Non l'ho mai vista.
28:35Grazie.
28:42Va bene così.
28:43Vuoi un po' più di brodo Andy?
28:44No, no, va bene, va bene.
28:46Ok, buon appetito.
28:47Buon appetito.
28:47Aspetta.
28:50Tu bambino.
28:51Il mio topo.
28:53Sarei sempre il mio topo.
28:54Ma verrai a qualche gara, no?
28:56Ma sì, per forza.
28:57Ah, vieni in Australia.
28:57Per vederti, assolutamente.
28:59Beh, tua sorella...
29:00Una che vuoi, che dice, voglio un atto che è il tuo fratello.
29:06Bene, lasagna?
29:07Lasagna, lasagna.
29:09Lasagna?
29:10Lasagne?
29:11Lasagne, sì.
29:11Perché è che le ha chiamate lasagne?
29:13Si chiama lasagne.
29:14Io non la chiamo.
29:15Lasagne.
29:16Lasagne, dai.
29:17Ma che non lo so, niente.
29:20Eh, ma mi fai sentire in colpa.
29:22Eh, dov'è?
29:23È giusto che ti senti in colpa.
29:24Non è fatta solo?
29:25No, è venuta a casa da scuola.
29:27Una fame nera.
29:30Eh, mi ha salutato e mi ha dato un gran bacio.
29:33Invece di centrarmi la guancia, mi ha centrato un orecchio.
29:37E da quel giorno, in quell'orecchio, sento poco.
29:41Esatto.
29:41L'ho fatto diventare sorda.
29:43Perché ti ha procurato una lesione all'orecchio?
29:45Ma sai, cos'è che c'è un grande sonno?
29:48Ho troppo sottosperzo.
29:50Non riesco a fare come voglio io.
29:53Mi ha anche il grande sonno, te, grazie.
29:56Andrea?
29:57Cosa sta succedendo?
30:01Questa è per te.
30:03Io credo che, insomma, sia il minimo.
30:05E spero che le cose vadano come vuoi.
30:09Vorrei che tu aprissi questo.
30:11Ah, ok.
30:12Ed è? Devi spiegarmi però.
30:14Adesso prima lo apri, poi glielo spiego.
30:16Apri?
30:17Guarda un po'.
30:23Cos'è?
30:26Questo è un portachiave, no?
30:28Con una macchinina.
30:29Sì.
30:30Però?
30:30Però, quella macchina lì me l'ha regalata mio padre, che era la sua, come porta fortuna.
30:37Addirittura.
30:38E io te la regalo a te.
30:40Grazie, papi.
30:42Penso, tuo padre te l'ha data?
30:44Sì.
30:44Il tuo nonno.
30:46Non lo so.
30:47L'ha data a te?
30:47E l'ha data a tuo padre?
30:49E il tuo padre l'ha data a te?
30:49Bello!
30:51Ah, questo me lo porto sempre via.
30:53È un ricomodo, eh?
30:55Sì, va a metterla.
30:56Grazie, papino.
30:59Prego di non essere in giro.
31:01Ecco la macchina.
31:02Grazie.
31:03Perché lei è specialista, eh?
31:07Ha fatto il restauro.
31:13Adesso le dite?
31:14Papà si è emozionato?
31:16Papà si stava emozionando?
31:19Papà si stava emozionando?
31:23È solo l'inizio.
31:41All this actually feels like the start of the journey.
31:44There is so much to learn.
31:45And the thing is, you don't really know what he doesn't know.
31:48So we've got to teach him an awful lot.
31:51OK, let's do some more driving.
31:52Do some more driving?
31:53Well, you do the driving, I'll do the...
31:56Yeah.
31:59We can swap if you want.
32:00I can't do both.
32:01You can't do both? No.
32:02Neither can I.
32:03I drive?
32:05Yeah.
32:06And you teach me?
32:07I do the rest of it.
32:09Mercedes have an illustrious history in Formula One.
32:12They went on an incredible run, winning eight Constructors' Championships in a row.
32:17So imagine you're Bono.
32:18You've worked with Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton.
32:22Statistically, the two greatest drivers in the history of the sport.
32:26And now you're running a teenager who's never raced in F1.
32:30The big part of preparing a driver is to make them comfortable being uncomfortable.
32:36There's obviously the fact that he's talking with a bunch of highly talented engineers.
32:41But we're also trying to shove as much information at him as quickly as possible.
32:46This is going to be, again, eight time laps that start from in the pit lane.
32:50Copy.
32:50Ready when you are.
32:52We are ready at the car pod, huh?
32:56We'll do it for you each time.
33:00Kimmy, one thing to note, on this car, the burn-up button is actually the orange button
33:05on the left side of the wheel, the one labeled DR.
33:08Okay, sorry, Marcel.
33:10We want him to learn through experience because it's the only way that it will stick.
33:15Out of guard, took our stairs.
33:17Steel riders, two competitive targets.
33:23This is a defining off-season for Kimmy Antonelli.
33:27He's got to be ready for everything that the calendar throws at him.
33:32Street circuits, flat-out tests, changing time zones from March until December.
33:40He's got to be in a physical condition to not get tired.
33:44Because if you do get tired at the end of the race, you slip backwards.
33:49Max's effort here, yeah?
33:51Start from the glutes, work from the core.
33:54Not so high, not so high.
33:55No, no, no, no.
33:56Come on.
33:57We want to be quick, no?
33:59Let's go.
34:00Up, up, up, up.
34:03Better form.
34:05Three, two, one.
34:16Come on, push, push, push, push.
34:17Go, go, go, go, go.
34:18You can be more aggressive.
34:19We'll be found by 7, 10, 10.
34:24A little longer.
34:25Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go.
34:26You've got the balance a little bit better.
34:28Max, max, max, max, max.
34:29Go, go, go, go, go, go.
34:31Come on.
34:31I was a relatively lone voice on the conservative end of the spectrum saying, now give him another
34:51year to grow, but an overwhelming sentiment was, you know, this guy is precious and special.
34:59You're hitting the marks.
35:00You're proactive with the tools.
35:01It's been what, nine months of driving an F1 car?
35:03Yes.
35:04I've come a long way.
35:13Sorry, sorry, sorry.
35:14We have super confidence in you.
35:43We're proud to have gone all that way with you from Minis into Formula One.
35:52We will be under lots of pressure, you know, not even you, but the team will be under lots
35:58of pressure because people say, well, you're taking a big risk here.
36:02The journey until now was a difficult journey, but now starts another one.
36:10That will be more difficult.
36:11You're racing against the 19 best drivers in the world, but we will do this together.
36:16Close your eyes with me, all right?
36:24Here it is.
36:25It's the first day of the F1 season.
36:28You step into that seat.
36:30What are you feeling?
36:31I can picture myself walking into the garage.
36:45There he is, the newest driver for the Mercedes team, Kimi Aitonelli.
37:04I can imagine for that first session, walking where the cars are, seeing all the mechanics
37:27around, giving high five to Bono, then jumping into that car.
37:41And realizing that it's all clear, it's all real.
38:08And that I'm about to do my first race weekend as an F1 driver.
38:17Formula One in 2025 begins.
38:21The new season is underway, and we're racing to turn number one.
38:30And how about that lap from Kimi Aitonelli?
38:33He's putting Alvin under massive pressure.
38:35From 16th to 4th, what a debut!
38:40I swear to Kimi, that was a great drive.
38:43Oh, man.
38:46What were the reasons?
38:47Mega job today, mate.
38:48I'm the champs.
39:02I'm the champagron.
39:03I swear to God.
39:07I swear to you.
39:09I'm the champagron.