The Mercedes driver secured his first victory at the Shanghai International Circuit on Sunday, becoming the second-youngest grand prix winner in Formula 1 history.
But as he stepped out to celebrate the moment alongside teammate George Russell and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, a slip of the tongue from podium announcer Bob Constanduros briefly turned the clock back.
Instead of introducing the Italian teenager as the race winner, Constanduros mistakenly welcomed “Kimi Raikkonen” to the stage, referencing the 2007 world champion who last raced in F1 in 2021.
The moment left Antonelli visibly puzzled as he walked onto the podium, while Russell and Hamilton also appeared confused by the announcement.
For viewers watching live, it was not immediately clear why the 19-year-old looked so surprised.
The blunder quickly spread online after Mercedes shared footage of the moment on social media, posting a clip of the teenager being introduced as Raikkonen with the caption: “Erm… that doesn’t sound right?”
Erm… that doesn’t sound right? 😂 pic.twitter.com/9NsvSRTyse
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) March 15, 2026
Despite the awkward introduction, the podium ceremony capped a historic day for Antonelli.
At 19 years, six months and 19 days old, the Italian became the second-youngest driver ever to win a grand prix and the first Italian winner since Giancarlo Fisichella’s victory in Malaysia in 2006.
Reflecting on his breakthrough triumph, Antonelli described the moment as a lifelong dream realised.
“What an incredible day! This win is a fulfilment of one of the dreams I’ve had ever since I first drove a go-kart,” he said.
“The race itself wasn’t easy. I lost a position at the start and had to fight back to get ahead.
“We then had to manage the safety car restart which wasn’t easy on the hard compound.
“It was difficult to get the tyres working but fortunately we were able to before we were under threat from those behind.”
Antonelli added that while the result was a major milestone, his focus is already turning to the races ahead.
“This has been a great way to close the first double-header of the season, but there is lots of work ahead,” he said.
“We aren’t taking anything for granted and will make sure we work hard ahead of Japan and arrive in Suzuka in the strongest position we can.”
Discussion about this post