The Seat (2025) Movie Script
1
[crowd cheering]
[commentator 1] It looks awful.
Hey, it does look awful.
[commentator 2] I believe, there's been
at least nine brake failures this year.
[commentator 3] Mercedes can suddenly
seemingly be an underdog.
[commentator 2] Now, with this one big
cataclysmic move, it has really opened up...
[pensive music playing]
[Toto] In F1,
there is zero room for error.
It demands absolutely everything
of all 2,000 people on the team.
The cars are the most
technologically advanced machines
ever built.
And only the very best in the world
have what it takes to drive them.
A fraction of a second
is the difference between first and tenth.
One moment, you can be
on top of the podium.
And the next,
you're searching for answers.
On the day
when Lewis broke the news to me,
George stayed overnight to make it
to a sim session the following day.
I told him, "You gotta be out of the house
because Lewis comes at 10:00
and I think I know
what's going to happen."
And so Lewis came,
we had a coffee, and as we started
to talk more seriously,
he said "I gotta tell you something.
I've signed with Ferrari."
It was like, "Really, you're doing this?"
Emotionally, my reaction was a bit weird
because we've been
so long with each other.
Lewis is my second-longest relationship
as a partner after my wife Susie.
In Formula 1, you're very much
under the magnifying glass
because the media is everywhere.
I knew that no matter what we did next,
it needed to stay quiet.
Okay, let's get to the day's biggest
and probably most shocking transfer.
It comes from Formula 1,
the sport's most successful driver
in history.
This man, Lewis Hamilton,
-will leave Mercedes.
-[crowd cheering]
[reporter] Yes, leave the team
that he's become so synonymous with.
The move can only really be compared
to when David Beckham left Man U.
That kind of fever around an announcement,
it's very rare to see in sport,
but when it happens, it's huge.
Nobody expected it.
Certainly, Mercedes didn't expect it.
I don't think anyone expected it.
[Bono] I was shocked.
The emotions were all over the place.
I hoped that I would have seen out my days
with Lewis as an engineer.
Lewis Hamilton is Mercedes.
The factory in Brackley,
the engineers in Stuttgart,
the thousands working
in the garage,
they're all a part of his story,
just as he is a part of theirs.
[Laura] In Formula 1,
there are only spots for 20 drivers.
A seat in any Formula 1 team
is something,
but a seat at Mercedes
is another thing altogether.
When the news broke,
Toto's phone just blew up.
Pretty much every driver on the grid
who was potentially free for 2025
was getting in touch with him.
Who is going to replace him?
Come on, guys.
Alex Albon. Don't forget Esteban Ocon.
If you were able to snatch Max,
it would sort of come full circle,
considering what you've
been through together.
The one last name that I want to bring up
is somebody who has been referenced
for the Mercedes seat
that I do not think is going to happen,
but I think we should mention,
is Kimi Antonelli.
There's no way Toto's going to put
a brand-new rookie in the Mercedes.
[Laura] No one's gone
from F4 to F1 overnight.
[Bradley] When it comes to looking
for a new driver,
what's at stake is simply everything.
[F1 cars whizzing]
[Bono] And then, yeah,
we've just grown and grown and grown,
and now we've got this circuit
and also the nice facilities
-with the new clubhouse and so on, so...
-[Gwen] Okay.
What's the weather look like
this weekend?
[Bono] Cold, hopefully not wet.
[laughs] But it looks like there might be...
[speaking French]
Slightly cooler temperatures.
Where, well, in performance,
you guys are basically there.
[speaking English]
I received a WhatsApp call from Toto
to announce to me that Lewis was leaving.
He's not used to calling me
early in the morning.
The timing was surprising,
but you have to understand that
we are working since nine years,
uh, to get ready for this day.
So, my role is to go on a go-kart track
and to try to find the driver
who will be a world champion.
[dramatic music playing]
[crew member] That's good.
Thank you, young man.
Let me see your race sheet number.
Next one, please.
Right, guys, listen up.
Just remember that karting's
a non-contact sport, okay?
Just make sure that you're following,
obviously,
the regulations that you've signed on to.
Also, just important,
make sure you follow the flags
that are out there on the circuit.
Other than that, make sure you have a...
Why are you lifting?
You're going a lot wider.
Maybe you need
to cut it back a bit more.
You're braking it loads more
than me in there.
Yeah. How are you...
Did you make the corner though?
You know, it's drying out really quickly...
[Gwen] Go-kart is where everything starts.
That's where you are learning how to race.
All right? Not overconfident.
[Gwen] Today, we have 100,000 kids
all around the world,
and you have one capable
of becoming a Formula 1 driver.
I received a lot of calls to tell me,
"You should have a look
at this kid, he's special."
[commentator 1] Antonelli from Bologna.
He's third in the series,
but he starts this race
from pole position.
[commentator 2] They will battle
not only for the race,
but for the European Junior Championship.
Let's race
for the European Junior Championship.
[commentator 1] We go green.
Antonelli will lead them down
into turn number one.
Oh! [laughs]
He's gone from first to fifth.
His championship hopes
are disappearing before his eyes.
It's a massive pole position.
[commentator 2] A big hustle
from Kimi Antonelli 'round the outside.
[commentator 1] Now, the race is on.
Antonelli down the inside
of Skinsaw there.
It's a drag race.
[commentator 2] Andrea Kimi Antonelli
wins a sensational final.
[commentator 3] This is a wonderful return
to the top of the podium for Andrea...
[commentator 2] It was a stakeout!
[commentator 4] Antonelli's got the lead.
He's your race winner.
[commentator 3] ...and that is how you win
in dominant fashion.
[Gwen] Kimi is coming from a family
where there is
a background in motorsports.
His dad was racing.
We were impressed with his talent,
so we signed him at 12.
[in Italian] We'll most likely see
in Formula 1 Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Good evening.
[Gwen, in English]
He was obviously different.
[commentator] Immediately on the data.
The laptop's already out.
Kimi remembers his lap times
of all the sessions ever he did
in his life.
Do you remember
when we did the race in Monaco?
-[Kimi] Yeah. [chuckles]
-What was your lap time in quali?
It was a 52:09.
Let's check somehow.
[laughing] You're right.
[all laugh]
[Gwen] The way he was racing
was very mature considering his age
and his experience.
I put Kimi's name on the table
to get the seat.
Of course, we had some question marks.
[Toto] Do we want to take the risk
with a young driver,
or are we looking at someone
with more experience?
I'm lucky there's a good group of people
with whom I can brainstorm.
[commentator 1] Carlos Sainz
is victorious.
He wins the British Grand Prix.
[crew cheering]
[Gwen] Have a look at the data.
Not bad for Kimi's first time
in F1 machinery.
[commentator 2] Antonelli scrambling
for track position.
[Gwen] Kimi finished P4.
Fast at the start,
but struggled with grip late in the race.
[commentator 2]
And Antonelli is finally past Colapinto.
And Max Verstappen cruises over the line
to win his ninth Grand Prix of the year.
[crowd cheering]
[commentator 3] Kimi Antonelli
with his first win in Formula 2.
[crowd cheering]
-[music concludes]
-[keypad clacking]
[dial tone ringing]
Hello. We've organized
a WhatsApp call to break the news.
So, this is about you, Kimi.
You're a Mercedes Formula 1 driver
next year.
[emotional music playing]
Oh, my God. I'm... That's great news.
[chuckles]
You're 17 years old, you're very young,
there's not a lot
of Formula racing in your life,
but if you consider two-and-a-half years
ago, you were doing Formula 4.
And putting you in a car,
in a Formula 1 car,
exposing you to this world,
there's going to be a lot
of different pressures
that are going to come onto you.
Not only driving the car
and being in your little bubble
in the cockpit,
but the pressures that will come
in by being a Mercedes driver.
[interviewer] All right, Kimi,
what's your first memory you have?
When I was little,
I used to play with these little cars
on the floor of the house.
And I remember
I used to make my own racetrack
and move the cars around
and even commentate in the race.
"And here he comes, Kimi Antonelli,
running outside in hairpin,
takes the lead of the race.
What a move!" [laughs]
Yeah, it was something like this, yeah.
F1 is the pinnacle of motorsport.
So, it's a dream to be where I am now.
[indistinct chatter]
[engineer] Have you got
the previous measurement
from when we made the seat?
The new one's gonna be thinner.
You can see it in the shoulders.
Let's make sure the seat is ready to go,
so we can get started right away.
Kimi should be here any minute.
Yeah, this is gonna take all day
to get it right.
I wish everybody took this much care
when it came to making a seat.
[chuckles] You want me to be honest?
My first encounter with Kimi was
I was just sitting at my desk working,
and a child came up to my desk
and said, "Hello."
And I thought they'd lost their dad.
And when he shook my hand,
he has the same strength
that all drivers have in their hands.
And I thought,
"This is a driver. It's Kimi."
[engineer] We will need to do
a quick helmet measurement.
So, how's that on the eye line now?
-[Kimi] What do you think, Bono?
-[Bono] Yeah, go for it. Yeah, yeah, tape.
[engineer] What I'll probably do is
I'll tuck a bit in
and I'll get the feedback on it again.
-Yeah.
-[Bono] Thank you.
And then you can climb out
really carefully.
You can step in it if you want,
but if you can do it without,
then that's great.
-[crew member laughing]
-[whirs]
It's quick, huh?
If you give me like a... weight target...
-Yep.
-...I can reach that.
-Because now I'm like 66.
-Yeah.
But if you need me to be 70 with kit,
I can be 70 with kit.
Yeah. Well,
what I wouldn't be is inconsistent.
-No.
-If you're at the same number every week,
-day in, day out, that is fine.
-I did, yeah.
Do I need to put the helmet on, or no?
[Bono] What's it gonna be like working
with a young driver?
The thing is, I don't know.
Kimi doesn't even have
his driver's license yet.
So, it's a different kind of pressure
because there's a lot of expectation
on such a young guy,
super talented, but he's not proven yet.
But that's my job to prove him out
and make sure that we can turn him
into another world champion.
[Kimi] You don't visualize?
-[Bono] Not a huge amount.
-[Kimi] I do a lot.
When you're racing, or just everything?
-Everything but mainly racing.
-[Bono] Okay. Yeah.
[Kimi] I do a mistake in the race
and compromise a little bit the result.
I picture like,
"What if I defended better?"
"If I stopped more
at the apex and didn't switch back,
-what could have been?"
-[Bono] Yeah, could have been.
[Kimi] I don't know.
I kind of also visualize a bit the future.
Maybe I manifest, you know.
You need me to jump in the car?
-Lower back still feels okay?
-[Kimi] Yes.
[James] Okay.
Distance to the wheel feels okay?
So, this distance?
-Yes. I'm happy with it.
-[James] Yeah?
We're pretty much there with the seat.
Perfect. Okay.
-Can you stay in for 15 minutes?
-Yes.
Is that all right? Thank you.
Just 15 minutes. Okay?
Don't touch them.
Don't be upsetting it too much.
Don't be wriggling too much
from that shoulder.
[F1 car engine revving]
[enchanting music playing]
In addition to speed,
there's a load of wile
that you need to pick up
about how to make a tire last
the race distance.
[indistinct radio chatter]
[James] He needs to know
how to do safety cars.
He needs to know how
to come into the pits.
Have you imagined pulling into
a parking space doing 60,
except the parking space
is made of humans,
and if you hit them, you hurt them.
[Will] I don't think I've said hello yet,
by the way. My name is Will.
Nice to meet you.
[crew member 1] Can we go
and do some more pit stops now?
I can go, yeah?
Why didn't you tell me before?
[crew member 1]
Yeah, yeah, come on. Chop-chop.
[laughs]
[crew member 2 over radio]
Fire in the hole.
[engine revs]
[crew member 2 over radio]
Good to head out to the track.
Thirty long, going to the left.
When you go anything over 20-30 long,
then you'll start to see the issues
that you saw then where
the guys are machining nuts
so they just can't get their wheels off.
[Bono] We'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.
-[tires screech]
-[machines whir]
[crew member 3 over radio]
Kill the engine, Kimi. Ant's down.
Can we get a doctor
for the pit lane, please?
[Kimi] Sorry.
[crew member 4] There was quite
a big delay 'cause we had...
The wheel got caught on the corner
as it was coming off the left rear.
You stopped in the right place.
It was seeming fine.
-[Kimi] Yeah.
-It was just the rest of it.
-[Kimi] Yeah.
-[laughs]
I mean, it's really scary the first time
when you're getting into the tunnel.
-That was, like, really focusing on...
-Yeah, because when I put them on,
I wait 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.
[crew members laugh]
You can laugh about it, mate. It's fine.
[crew member 5 over radio]
Kimi, let's call it a day for now.
Okay. That's a wrap for today.
Thank you for your hard work.
[commentator] Through the chicane,
Antonelli navigates it perfectly.
Through the final turn,
the checkered flag is ready and waiting.
Antonelli wins the final race.
To Marco Antonelli.
Flies from the cockpit,
celebrates with the team.
My dad at the racetrack,
he taught me everything he knew.
He wasn't as lucky as me in his career,
because he didn't get
the same support I got.
So, I felt like all this was not only
for myself but was also for him.
I carried his legacy.
I kind of suffered
in the first couple of years
because it was a bit tough on me,
but then they realized that
it was making me improving.
I was so happy because I made him proud.
What the plan is, at the moment,
we must not talk to anyone.
How we want to do it is to announce
Free Practice 1 for Kimi in Monza,
and our current plan is,
right after FP1 in Monza,
we do a press conference
and we announce Kimi as a driver,
which is going
to be big, bigger, the biggest
there has ever been because there was
no Italian driver for a long time.
[commentator 1]
There are few places on the planet
more synonymous with racing than Italy.
[commentator 2]
Formula 1's return to Monza this time
-has a home hero, Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
-[crowd cheering]
[commentator 1] Antonelli will make
his F1 debut this weekend on home soil.
-[pensive music playing]
-I was a bit nervous.
My dream was about to become true.
-You are not very often in photos.
-[laughs]
[commentator 2] He's going to have
one hour during this Free Practice session
to introduce himself to the world.
-Take it easy.
-Yeah.
Don't hurt yourself,
and don't break the car.
There is so much pressure
on Kimi Antonelli,
just 18 years of age,
had his birthday just a few days ago.
The expectation's so great,
and that's got to mess
with you a little bit.
[reporter] He put Antonelli
behind the wheel of George Russell's car.
[Kimi] I remember sitting in the car
and seeing all the people
in the grandstand.
[Bono] There was a sea of Italian fans
ready to embrace their new hero.
[crowd cheering]
I remember, like, I had goosebumps
in the car, and I was, like,
really trying my best to stay calm.
[commentator 2] Immediately,
Antonelli is off to a roaring start
on the soft tires.
He's leaving nothing out there.
Antonelli has a quick first lap.
It looks like he's pushing again here.
He just took the second sector
even faster.
This could be the fastest lap of the day.
Antonelli spins into the gravel,
into the wall.
[tense music playing]
You okay? Are you okay?
[Kimi] Yeah. Sorry.
Kimi, all good. All good, Kimi.
[commentator 2] The 18-year-old,
the hope for Mercedes, into the barrier
on his first outing in Formula 1.
[commentator 1] It's a fine line
between being a hero and a villain,
and he's just done exactly that.
One lap, hero, he's right on the pace.
Second lap, you try
and get back to the top, and it ends.
[commentator 2] Not the start to Formula 1
that Mercedes had hoped for
for Kimi Antonelli.
[Kimi] That day,
I let down all my family, my dad.
He was not happy.
He didn't expect that it would happen.
[reporter] Kimi Antonelli
has gone to the medical center.
That is his car, his Mercedes,
at the side of the track.
[Kimi] After the crash,
they did some checks
because the impact was really big.
But I remember laying in that bed.
I just wanted to stay on my own.
I cried as well.
I didn't want to see anyone.
I just wanted to go home, to be honest.
I was sad for him because I know
that he would have walked away from that
certain that he had
let the occasion get to him.
And that's the very thing,
of course, that is his biggest foe.
[in Italian] The Monza incident,
let's say, affected us quite a bit.
In Monza...
[sighs]
...it was really an emotional shock.
I remember that I cried
for a day and a half in the paddock.
And everyone I met
was trying to reassure me,
including Mercedes,
and I was crying
and crying because I couldn't
believe it and I kept apologizing.
-[tires screeching]
-[F1 car crashing]
[commentator 2, in English]
Into the gravel and into the wall.
It's a fine line
between being a hero and a villain.
[commentator 3] He's not doing enough
in Formula 2 to give me the inspiration
that I feel he's ready
to start winning Grand Prix.
[commentator 4]
That is a ludicrously high bar to set.
[commentator 2] Not the start to Formula 1
that Mercedes had hoped for
for Kimi Antonelli.
[Bradley] Hey, Kimi.
I know today was embarrassing,
but even in one-and-a-half laps,
we saw something
that you just can't teach.
You should see how excited the team are.
Make sure you sleep well. Get a good rest.
Tomorrow's a new day.
The big announcement.
The difference between Free Practice
and Qualifying we need to discuss.
-[laughs]
-[Toto] But that's also Kimi.
This is a pressure cooker.
Mercedes always has been
a pressure cooker.
But this is where we stand
as a team today.
We want to go with these two.
-[F1 cars whizzing]
-[music concludes]
[indistinct chatter]
[soft sentimental music playing]
[in Italian] You can try again.
-[laughs]
-[Kimi] Why are you holding my hand?
Relax, you're too tense.
Stop it!
Oh! Karol!
How are you?
Oh, my God, I remember.
-I was there, right?
-Yeah, yeah.
In the picture, I was behind you.
No, you were next to me.
[Kimi] You haven't changed much.
[Marco laughs]
No, no, no, I haven't changed much.
God, what long hair I had.
Let's go.
[in English] And everyone told me
not to really worry about it,
try to forget about it, to just move on
and focus on the next step.
But it took me quite long
to get through what happened.
It was stuck in my mind.
Quite good.
Kimi!
Okay.
[in Italian] You change gears
almost at the corner
and then start again.
Okay.
Sometimes, I dream about it at night.
Getting in the car, going to the track.
As if I was living the race weekend.
I didn't dream about results,
qualifications.
I only dreamed about being there.
[Marco] It's going to be tough.
When I was a little kid,
there were many times I felt bad.
[chuckles] And as a kid,
I didn't understand
why you were so hard on me
at certain times.
This is something we never talked about,
but this moment
is an opportunity to explain.
I often think about
all the times I yelled at you.
All the times I got angry with you.
You said, "My father is an asshole.
Why does he do that?"
Because in my career,
unfortunately, I couldn't get ahead.
I couldn't take advantage
of the opportunities I had.
[Marco] That's why we were fighting,
because I was probably asking you
to do more than you could in that moment.
[Veronica] Turn around.
Bring the dishes,
then we'll call you, Andrea.
-[Kimi] Look how beautiful it is.
-No, take out the flat dishes.
Mm.
-Thank you.
-Is it okay?
[Veronica] Do you want some more, Andy?
No, it's okay. it's okay.
Okay, bon appetit.
-[Veronica] Bon appetit.
-[grandmother] Wait.
[chuckles] Your child.
My little mouse.
You'll always be my little mouse. [kisses]
But you'll come to some races, won't you?
-Yes, of course.
-You're coming to Australia?
To see you, absolutely. Your sister...
My friends say,
"I want an autograph from your brother."
-[chuckles]
-[grandmother] Okay, lasagna?
-[Kimi] Lasagna, lasagna.
-Lasagnas?
[grandmother] Lasagnas, yes.
[Veronica] Why do you say lasagnas?
-Why do you call it lasagnas?
-[sister] I don't call it lasagnas.
[Veronica] Lasagna.
Come on, let's call it lasagna.
You are making me feel guilty.
[Veronica] It's right that you
feel guilty. You made her go deaf.
He came home from school.
He was really hungry.
He greeted me and gave me a big kiss.
Instead of kissing my cheek,
he kissed an ear.
And since that day,
I can't hear much in that ear.
-[Veronica] Exactly.
-I made her go deaf.
[Veronica] Because he broke your ear.
-What did I say while I was sleeping?
-[cutlery clattering]
[Marco] "Too much understeer. I
can't take the corners like I'd like to."
[laughs]
[grandmother] Even when
you're asleep you're calm.
-Andrea...
-[grandmother laughs]
-What's going on?
-[Veronica] This is for you.
It was the least we could do.
I hope things go well.
-[Marco] I'd like you to open this.
-Okay.
[grandmother]
You have to explain it.
[Marco] Open it first,
then I'll explain it. Open it.
Look at it. What is it?
This is a keychain, right?
-[Marco] With a little car.
-Yes.
-[grandmother] But?
-[Marco] But...
that car there was given to me
by my father. It was his lucky charm.
-[Kimi] Really?
-Now, I'm giving it to you.
[Kimi chuckles] Thank you, Dad.
-Your father gave it to you?
-[Marco] Yes.
-[grandmother] Your grandfather.
-[Veronica] He gave it to your father
-and your father gave it to you.
-It's beautiful.
I'll always take it with me.
[overlapping chatter]
Thank you, Dad.
[grandmother] Please don't
leave it lying around. [laughing]
-[Veronica laughing]
-[Kimi] Thank you.
[grandmother] He restored it.
-[Kimi laughs]
-[laughs]
[Kimi] Dad's getting emotional.
Dad is starting to get emotional.
[Carmen] This is just the beginning.
[giggles]
[F1 car engine revving]
[music concludes]
[Bono, in English] All this actually feels
like the start of the journey.
-[dramatic music playing]
-There is so much to learn.
And the thing is you don't really know
what he doesn't know.
So, we've got to teach him an awful lot.
Okay, let's do some more driving.
Do some more driving?
Well, you do the driving, I'll do the...
-Yeah.
-[laughs]
-We can swap if you want.
-I can't do both.
-You can't do both, no. Neither can I.
-[Kimi] No.
-I drive.
-Yeah.
-And you teach me.
-I do the rest of it.
[Alex] Mercedes have
an illustrious history in Formula 1.
They went on an incredible run,
winning eight
Constructors' Championships in a row.
[reporter] So, imagine you're Bono.
You've worked with Michael Schumacher
and Lewis Hamilton,
statistically the two greatest drivers
in the history of the sport.
And now you're running a teenager
who's never raced in F1.
A big part of preparing a driver
is to make them comfortable
being uncomfortable.
There's obviously the fact
that he's talking
with a bunch of highly talented engineers,
but we're also trying to shove
as much information at him
as quickly as possible.
This is going to be, again,
eight timed laps
that start in the pit lane.
-[crew member 1 over radio] Cockpit?
-[Kimi over radio] Ready when you are.
[Bono over radio]
We are ready at the car bonnet.
[Kimi over radio] Can I fire up
the car myself, or you do?
We'll do it for you each time.
[Marcel over radio]
Kimi, one thing to note.
On this car, the burnout button
is actually the orange button
on the left side of the wheel,
the one labeled TR.
[Kimi over radio] Okay, sorry, Marcel.
We want him to learn through experience.
It's the only way it will stick.
[engine revving]
[crew member 2 over radio] Out of garage,
car caster's still minus two,
compared to the tires.
[commentator 1]
This is a defining off-season
for Kimi Antonelli.
He's got to be ready for everything
that the calendar throws at him.
Street circuits, flat-out tests,
changing time zones
from March until December.
He's got to be in a physical condition
to not get tired,
because if you do get tired at the end
of the race, you slip backwards.
[dramatic music playing]
[Sergi] Max effort here, yeah?
Start from the glutes, work from the core.
Not so high, not so high.
No, no, no, no. Come on.
We want to be quick, no?
Let's go. Up, up, up, up.
Better form.
-Three, two, one.
-[pants]
[engine roars]
Come on. Push, push, push.
Go, go, go, go, go.
You can be more aggressive.
[crew member 2 over radio]
Mistake, the lock-up T6.
-We found like seven tenths here.
-[Sergi] There we go. A little longer.
[crew member 2] I oversteer in T1.
Got the balance a little bit better.
[Sergi] And max, max, max.
Go, go, go, go. Come on.
[crew member 2 over radio]
T4. T2. Recheck T5.
[Sergi] Up, up, up. Quick, quick, quick.
Push, push, push, push, push.
[grunts]
[thunder rumbling]
[James] I was a relatively lone voice
on the conservative end
of the spectrum saying,
"I'd give him another year to grow."
But an overwhelming sentiment was,
"No, this guy is precious and special."
[crew member 3] You're hitting the marks.
You're proactive with the tools.
It's been, what,
nine months of driving an F1 car?
-Yes.
-[crew member 3] You've come a long way.
[epic music playing]
[Sergi] Slowly, slowly, slowly.
-[music concludes]
-[Kimi panting]
[Toto] We have super confidence in you.
We are proud to have gone
all that way with you
from minis into Formula 1.
We will be under lots of pressure.
You know, not even you, but the team
will be under lots of pressure
because people will say,
"Well, you're taking a big risk here."
[gentle music playing]
The journey until now
was a difficult journey,
but now starts another one,
that will be more difficult.
You're racing against
the 19 best drivers in the world,
but we will do this together.
[interviewer] Close your eyes
with me, all right?
Here it is.
It's the first day of the F1 season.
You step into that seat.
What are you feeling?
[heroic music playing]
[F1 car engine revving]
I can picture myself
walking into the garage.
[crowd cheering]
[commentator 1] There he is,
the newest driver for the Mercedes team,
-Kimi Antonelli.
-[crowd cheering]
Seeing the big Mercedes star
on the wall of the garage...
[indistinct radio chatter]
I can imagine for that first session,
walking where the cars are,
seeing all the mechanics around.
[commentator 1] Italy's waited
a long time for an F1 driver,
and now that wait is over.
Giving high five to Bono,
then jumping into that car...
and realizing that it's all clear,
it's all real,
uh, and that I'm about to do
my first race weekend as an F1 driver.
[commentator 2] Formula 1 in 2025 begins.
The new season is underway,
and we're racing to turn number one.
[commentator 1] And how about that lap
from Kimi Antonelli?
He's putting Albon under massive pressure.
From 16th to fourth, what a debut!
[Bono] Nice work, Kimi.
That was a great drive.
[Kimi] Oh, man.
-Wow, what a race!
-[Bono] Mega job today, mate.
[soft soothing music playing]
[music concludes]
[crowd cheering]
[commentator 1] It looks awful.
Hey, it does look awful.
[commentator 2] I believe, there's been
at least nine brake failures this year.
[commentator 3] Mercedes can suddenly
seemingly be an underdog.
[commentator 2] Now, with this one big
cataclysmic move, it has really opened up...
[pensive music playing]
[Toto] In F1,
there is zero room for error.
It demands absolutely everything
of all 2,000 people on the team.
The cars are the most
technologically advanced machines
ever built.
And only the very best in the world
have what it takes to drive them.
A fraction of a second
is the difference between first and tenth.
One moment, you can be
on top of the podium.
And the next,
you're searching for answers.
On the day
when Lewis broke the news to me,
George stayed overnight to make it
to a sim session the following day.
I told him, "You gotta be out of the house
because Lewis comes at 10:00
and I think I know
what's going to happen."
And so Lewis came,
we had a coffee, and as we started
to talk more seriously,
he said "I gotta tell you something.
I've signed with Ferrari."
It was like, "Really, you're doing this?"
Emotionally, my reaction was a bit weird
because we've been
so long with each other.
Lewis is my second-longest relationship
as a partner after my wife Susie.
In Formula 1, you're very much
under the magnifying glass
because the media is everywhere.
I knew that no matter what we did next,
it needed to stay quiet.
Okay, let's get to the day's biggest
and probably most shocking transfer.
It comes from Formula 1,
the sport's most successful driver
in history.
This man, Lewis Hamilton,
-will leave Mercedes.
-[crowd cheering]
[reporter] Yes, leave the team
that he's become so synonymous with.
The move can only really be compared
to when David Beckham left Man U.
That kind of fever around an announcement,
it's very rare to see in sport,
but when it happens, it's huge.
Nobody expected it.
Certainly, Mercedes didn't expect it.
I don't think anyone expected it.
[Bono] I was shocked.
The emotions were all over the place.
I hoped that I would have seen out my days
with Lewis as an engineer.
Lewis Hamilton is Mercedes.
The factory in Brackley,
the engineers in Stuttgart,
the thousands working
in the garage,
they're all a part of his story,
just as he is a part of theirs.
[Laura] In Formula 1,
there are only spots for 20 drivers.
A seat in any Formula 1 team
is something,
but a seat at Mercedes
is another thing altogether.
When the news broke,
Toto's phone just blew up.
Pretty much every driver on the grid
who was potentially free for 2025
was getting in touch with him.
Who is going to replace him?
Come on, guys.
Alex Albon. Don't forget Esteban Ocon.
If you were able to snatch Max,
it would sort of come full circle,
considering what you've
been through together.
The one last name that I want to bring up
is somebody who has been referenced
for the Mercedes seat
that I do not think is going to happen,
but I think we should mention,
is Kimi Antonelli.
There's no way Toto's going to put
a brand-new rookie in the Mercedes.
[Laura] No one's gone
from F4 to F1 overnight.
[Bradley] When it comes to looking
for a new driver,
what's at stake is simply everything.
[F1 cars whizzing]
[Bono] And then, yeah,
we've just grown and grown and grown,
and now we've got this circuit
and also the nice facilities
-with the new clubhouse and so on, so...
-[Gwen] Okay.
What's the weather look like
this weekend?
[Bono] Cold, hopefully not wet.
[laughs] But it looks like there might be...
[speaking French]
Slightly cooler temperatures.
Where, well, in performance,
you guys are basically there.
[speaking English]
I received a WhatsApp call from Toto
to announce to me that Lewis was leaving.
He's not used to calling me
early in the morning.
The timing was surprising,
but you have to understand that
we are working since nine years,
uh, to get ready for this day.
So, my role is to go on a go-kart track
and to try to find the driver
who will be a world champion.
[dramatic music playing]
[crew member] That's good.
Thank you, young man.
Let me see your race sheet number.
Next one, please.
Right, guys, listen up.
Just remember that karting's
a non-contact sport, okay?
Just make sure that you're following,
obviously,
the regulations that you've signed on to.
Also, just important,
make sure you follow the flags
that are out there on the circuit.
Other than that, make sure you have a...
Why are you lifting?
You're going a lot wider.
Maybe you need
to cut it back a bit more.
You're braking it loads more
than me in there.
Yeah. How are you...
Did you make the corner though?
You know, it's drying out really quickly...
[Gwen] Go-kart is where everything starts.
That's where you are learning how to race.
All right? Not overconfident.
[Gwen] Today, we have 100,000 kids
all around the world,
and you have one capable
of becoming a Formula 1 driver.
I received a lot of calls to tell me,
"You should have a look
at this kid, he's special."
[commentator 1] Antonelli from Bologna.
He's third in the series,
but he starts this race
from pole position.
[commentator 2] They will battle
not only for the race,
but for the European Junior Championship.
Let's race
for the European Junior Championship.
[commentator 1] We go green.
Antonelli will lead them down
into turn number one.
Oh! [laughs]
He's gone from first to fifth.
His championship hopes
are disappearing before his eyes.
It's a massive pole position.
[commentator 2] A big hustle
from Kimi Antonelli 'round the outside.
[commentator 1] Now, the race is on.
Antonelli down the inside
of Skinsaw there.
It's a drag race.
[commentator 2] Andrea Kimi Antonelli
wins a sensational final.
[commentator 3] This is a wonderful return
to the top of the podium for Andrea...
[commentator 2] It was a stakeout!
[commentator 4] Antonelli's got the lead.
He's your race winner.
[commentator 3] ...and that is how you win
in dominant fashion.
[Gwen] Kimi is coming from a family
where there is
a background in motorsports.
His dad was racing.
We were impressed with his talent,
so we signed him at 12.
[in Italian] We'll most likely see
in Formula 1 Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Good evening.
[Gwen, in English]
He was obviously different.
[commentator] Immediately on the data.
The laptop's already out.
Kimi remembers his lap times
of all the sessions ever he did
in his life.
Do you remember
when we did the race in Monaco?
-[Kimi] Yeah. [chuckles]
-What was your lap time in quali?
It was a 52:09.
Let's check somehow.
[laughing] You're right.
[all laugh]
[Gwen] The way he was racing
was very mature considering his age
and his experience.
I put Kimi's name on the table
to get the seat.
Of course, we had some question marks.
[Toto] Do we want to take the risk
with a young driver,
or are we looking at someone
with more experience?
I'm lucky there's a good group of people
with whom I can brainstorm.
[commentator 1] Carlos Sainz
is victorious.
He wins the British Grand Prix.
[crew cheering]
[Gwen] Have a look at the data.
Not bad for Kimi's first time
in F1 machinery.
[commentator 2] Antonelli scrambling
for track position.
[Gwen] Kimi finished P4.
Fast at the start,
but struggled with grip late in the race.
[commentator 2]
And Antonelli is finally past Colapinto.
And Max Verstappen cruises over the line
to win his ninth Grand Prix of the year.
[crowd cheering]
[commentator 3] Kimi Antonelli
with his first win in Formula 2.
[crowd cheering]
-[music concludes]
-[keypad clacking]
[dial tone ringing]
Hello. We've organized
a WhatsApp call to break the news.
So, this is about you, Kimi.
You're a Mercedes Formula 1 driver
next year.
[emotional music playing]
Oh, my God. I'm... That's great news.
[chuckles]
You're 17 years old, you're very young,
there's not a lot
of Formula racing in your life,
but if you consider two-and-a-half years
ago, you were doing Formula 4.
And putting you in a car,
in a Formula 1 car,
exposing you to this world,
there's going to be a lot
of different pressures
that are going to come onto you.
Not only driving the car
and being in your little bubble
in the cockpit,
but the pressures that will come
in by being a Mercedes driver.
[interviewer] All right, Kimi,
what's your first memory you have?
When I was little,
I used to play with these little cars
on the floor of the house.
And I remember
I used to make my own racetrack
and move the cars around
and even commentate in the race.
"And here he comes, Kimi Antonelli,
running outside in hairpin,
takes the lead of the race.
What a move!" [laughs]
Yeah, it was something like this, yeah.
F1 is the pinnacle of motorsport.
So, it's a dream to be where I am now.
[indistinct chatter]
[engineer] Have you got
the previous measurement
from when we made the seat?
The new one's gonna be thinner.
You can see it in the shoulders.
Let's make sure the seat is ready to go,
so we can get started right away.
Kimi should be here any minute.
Yeah, this is gonna take all day
to get it right.
I wish everybody took this much care
when it came to making a seat.
[chuckles] You want me to be honest?
My first encounter with Kimi was
I was just sitting at my desk working,
and a child came up to my desk
and said, "Hello."
And I thought they'd lost their dad.
And when he shook my hand,
he has the same strength
that all drivers have in their hands.
And I thought,
"This is a driver. It's Kimi."
[engineer] We will need to do
a quick helmet measurement.
So, how's that on the eye line now?
-[Kimi] What do you think, Bono?
-[Bono] Yeah, go for it. Yeah, yeah, tape.
[engineer] What I'll probably do is
I'll tuck a bit in
and I'll get the feedback on it again.
-Yeah.
-[Bono] Thank you.
And then you can climb out
really carefully.
You can step in it if you want,
but if you can do it without,
then that's great.
-[crew member laughing]
-[whirs]
It's quick, huh?
If you give me like a... weight target...
-Yep.
-...I can reach that.
-Because now I'm like 66.
-Yeah.
But if you need me to be 70 with kit,
I can be 70 with kit.
Yeah. Well,
what I wouldn't be is inconsistent.
-No.
-If you're at the same number every week,
-day in, day out, that is fine.
-I did, yeah.
Do I need to put the helmet on, or no?
[Bono] What's it gonna be like working
with a young driver?
The thing is, I don't know.
Kimi doesn't even have
his driver's license yet.
So, it's a different kind of pressure
because there's a lot of expectation
on such a young guy,
super talented, but he's not proven yet.
But that's my job to prove him out
and make sure that we can turn him
into another world champion.
[Kimi] You don't visualize?
-[Bono] Not a huge amount.
-[Kimi] I do a lot.
When you're racing, or just everything?
-Everything but mainly racing.
-[Bono] Okay. Yeah.
[Kimi] I do a mistake in the race
and compromise a little bit the result.
I picture like,
"What if I defended better?"
"If I stopped more
at the apex and didn't switch back,
-what could have been?"
-[Bono] Yeah, could have been.
[Kimi] I don't know.
I kind of also visualize a bit the future.
Maybe I manifest, you know.
You need me to jump in the car?
-Lower back still feels okay?
-[Kimi] Yes.
[James] Okay.
Distance to the wheel feels okay?
So, this distance?
-Yes. I'm happy with it.
-[James] Yeah?
We're pretty much there with the seat.
Perfect. Okay.
-Can you stay in for 15 minutes?
-Yes.
Is that all right? Thank you.
Just 15 minutes. Okay?
Don't touch them.
Don't be upsetting it too much.
Don't be wriggling too much
from that shoulder.
[F1 car engine revving]
[enchanting music playing]
In addition to speed,
there's a load of wile
that you need to pick up
about how to make a tire last
the race distance.
[indistinct radio chatter]
[James] He needs to know
how to do safety cars.
He needs to know how
to come into the pits.
Have you imagined pulling into
a parking space doing 60,
except the parking space
is made of humans,
and if you hit them, you hurt them.
[Will] I don't think I've said hello yet,
by the way. My name is Will.
Nice to meet you.
[crew member 1] Can we go
and do some more pit stops now?
I can go, yeah?
Why didn't you tell me before?
[crew member 1]
Yeah, yeah, come on. Chop-chop.
[laughs]
[crew member 2 over radio]
Fire in the hole.
[engine revs]
[crew member 2 over radio]
Good to head out to the track.
Thirty long, going to the left.
When you go anything over 20-30 long,
then you'll start to see the issues
that you saw then where
the guys are machining nuts
so they just can't get their wheels off.
[Bono] We'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.
-[tires screech]
-[machines whir]
[crew member 3 over radio]
Kill the engine, Kimi. Ant's down.
Can we get a doctor
for the pit lane, please?
[Kimi] Sorry.
[crew member 4] There was quite
a big delay 'cause we had...
The wheel got caught on the corner
as it was coming off the left rear.
You stopped in the right place.
It was seeming fine.
-[Kimi] Yeah.
-It was just the rest of it.
-[Kimi] Yeah.
-[laughs]
I mean, it's really scary the first time
when you're getting into the tunnel.
-That was, like, really focusing on...
-Yeah, because when I put them on,
I wait 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.
[crew members laugh]
You can laugh about it, mate. It's fine.
[crew member 5 over radio]
Kimi, let's call it a day for now.
Okay. That's a wrap for today.
Thank you for your hard work.
[commentator] Through the chicane,
Antonelli navigates it perfectly.
Through the final turn,
the checkered flag is ready and waiting.
Antonelli wins the final race.
To Marco Antonelli.
Flies from the cockpit,
celebrates with the team.
My dad at the racetrack,
he taught me everything he knew.
He wasn't as lucky as me in his career,
because he didn't get
the same support I got.
So, I felt like all this was not only
for myself but was also for him.
I carried his legacy.
I kind of suffered
in the first couple of years
because it was a bit tough on me,
but then they realized that
it was making me improving.
I was so happy because I made him proud.
What the plan is, at the moment,
we must not talk to anyone.
How we want to do it is to announce
Free Practice 1 for Kimi in Monza,
and our current plan is,
right after FP1 in Monza,
we do a press conference
and we announce Kimi as a driver,
which is going
to be big, bigger, the biggest
there has ever been because there was
no Italian driver for a long time.
[commentator 1]
There are few places on the planet
more synonymous with racing than Italy.
[commentator 2]
Formula 1's return to Monza this time
-has a home hero, Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
-[crowd cheering]
[commentator 1] Antonelli will make
his F1 debut this weekend on home soil.
-[pensive music playing]
-I was a bit nervous.
My dream was about to become true.
-You are not very often in photos.
-[laughs]
[commentator 2] He's going to have
one hour during this Free Practice session
to introduce himself to the world.
-Take it easy.
-Yeah.
Don't hurt yourself,
and don't break the car.
There is so much pressure
on Kimi Antonelli,
just 18 years of age,
had his birthday just a few days ago.
The expectation's so great,
and that's got to mess
with you a little bit.
[reporter] He put Antonelli
behind the wheel of George Russell's car.
[Kimi] I remember sitting in the car
and seeing all the people
in the grandstand.
[Bono] There was a sea of Italian fans
ready to embrace their new hero.
[crowd cheering]
I remember, like, I had goosebumps
in the car, and I was, like,
really trying my best to stay calm.
[commentator 2] Immediately,
Antonelli is off to a roaring start
on the soft tires.
He's leaving nothing out there.
Antonelli has a quick first lap.
It looks like he's pushing again here.
He just took the second sector
even faster.
This could be the fastest lap of the day.
Antonelli spins into the gravel,
into the wall.
[tense music playing]
You okay? Are you okay?
[Kimi] Yeah. Sorry.
Kimi, all good. All good, Kimi.
[commentator 2] The 18-year-old,
the hope for Mercedes, into the barrier
on his first outing in Formula 1.
[commentator 1] It's a fine line
between being a hero and a villain,
and he's just done exactly that.
One lap, hero, he's right on the pace.
Second lap, you try
and get back to the top, and it ends.
[commentator 2] Not the start to Formula 1
that Mercedes had hoped for
for Kimi Antonelli.
[Kimi] That day,
I let down all my family, my dad.
He was not happy.
He didn't expect that it would happen.
[reporter] Kimi Antonelli
has gone to the medical center.
That is his car, his Mercedes,
at the side of the track.
[Kimi] After the crash,
they did some checks
because the impact was really big.
But I remember laying in that bed.
I just wanted to stay on my own.
I cried as well.
I didn't want to see anyone.
I just wanted to go home, to be honest.
I was sad for him because I know
that he would have walked away from that
certain that he had
let the occasion get to him.
And that's the very thing,
of course, that is his biggest foe.
[in Italian] The Monza incident,
let's say, affected us quite a bit.
In Monza...
[sighs]
...it was really an emotional shock.
I remember that I cried
for a day and a half in the paddock.
And everyone I met
was trying to reassure me,
including Mercedes,
and I was crying
and crying because I couldn't
believe it and I kept apologizing.
-[tires screeching]
-[F1 car crashing]
[commentator 2, in English]
Into the gravel and into the wall.
It's a fine line
between being a hero and a villain.
[commentator 3] He's not doing enough
in Formula 2 to give me the inspiration
that I feel he's ready
to start winning Grand Prix.
[commentator 4]
That is a ludicrously high bar to set.
[commentator 2] Not the start to Formula 1
that Mercedes had hoped for
for Kimi Antonelli.
[Bradley] Hey, Kimi.
I know today was embarrassing,
but even in one-and-a-half laps,
we saw something
that you just can't teach.
You should see how excited the team are.
Make sure you sleep well. Get a good rest.
Tomorrow's a new day.
The big announcement.
The difference between Free Practice
and Qualifying we need to discuss.
-[laughs]
-[Toto] But that's also Kimi.
This is a pressure cooker.
Mercedes always has been
a pressure cooker.
But this is where we stand
as a team today.
We want to go with these two.
-[F1 cars whizzing]
-[music concludes]
[indistinct chatter]
[soft sentimental music playing]
[in Italian] You can try again.
-[laughs]
-[Kimi] Why are you holding my hand?
Relax, you're too tense.
Stop it!
Oh! Karol!
How are you?
Oh, my God, I remember.
-I was there, right?
-Yeah, yeah.
In the picture, I was behind you.
No, you were next to me.
[Kimi] You haven't changed much.
[Marco laughs]
No, no, no, I haven't changed much.
God, what long hair I had.
Let's go.
[in English] And everyone told me
not to really worry about it,
try to forget about it, to just move on
and focus on the next step.
But it took me quite long
to get through what happened.
It was stuck in my mind.
Quite good.
Kimi!
Okay.
[in Italian] You change gears
almost at the corner
and then start again.
Okay.
Sometimes, I dream about it at night.
Getting in the car, going to the track.
As if I was living the race weekend.
I didn't dream about results,
qualifications.
I only dreamed about being there.
[Marco] It's going to be tough.
When I was a little kid,
there were many times I felt bad.
[chuckles] And as a kid,
I didn't understand
why you were so hard on me
at certain times.
This is something we never talked about,
but this moment
is an opportunity to explain.
I often think about
all the times I yelled at you.
All the times I got angry with you.
You said, "My father is an asshole.
Why does he do that?"
Because in my career,
unfortunately, I couldn't get ahead.
I couldn't take advantage
of the opportunities I had.
[Marco] That's why we were fighting,
because I was probably asking you
to do more than you could in that moment.
[Veronica] Turn around.
Bring the dishes,
then we'll call you, Andrea.
-[Kimi] Look how beautiful it is.
-No, take out the flat dishes.
Mm.
-Thank you.
-Is it okay?
[Veronica] Do you want some more, Andy?
No, it's okay. it's okay.
Okay, bon appetit.
-[Veronica] Bon appetit.
-[grandmother] Wait.
[chuckles] Your child.
My little mouse.
You'll always be my little mouse. [kisses]
But you'll come to some races, won't you?
-Yes, of course.
-You're coming to Australia?
To see you, absolutely. Your sister...
My friends say,
"I want an autograph from your brother."
-[chuckles]
-[grandmother] Okay, lasagna?
-[Kimi] Lasagna, lasagna.
-Lasagnas?
[grandmother] Lasagnas, yes.
[Veronica] Why do you say lasagnas?
-Why do you call it lasagnas?
-[sister] I don't call it lasagnas.
[Veronica] Lasagna.
Come on, let's call it lasagna.
You are making me feel guilty.
[Veronica] It's right that you
feel guilty. You made her go deaf.
He came home from school.
He was really hungry.
He greeted me and gave me a big kiss.
Instead of kissing my cheek,
he kissed an ear.
And since that day,
I can't hear much in that ear.
-[Veronica] Exactly.
-I made her go deaf.
[Veronica] Because he broke your ear.
-What did I say while I was sleeping?
-[cutlery clattering]
[Marco] "Too much understeer. I
can't take the corners like I'd like to."
[laughs]
[grandmother] Even when
you're asleep you're calm.
-Andrea...
-[grandmother laughs]
-What's going on?
-[Veronica] This is for you.
It was the least we could do.
I hope things go well.
-[Marco] I'd like you to open this.
-Okay.
[grandmother]
You have to explain it.
[Marco] Open it first,
then I'll explain it. Open it.
Look at it. What is it?
This is a keychain, right?
-[Marco] With a little car.
-Yes.
-[grandmother] But?
-[Marco] But...
that car there was given to me
by my father. It was his lucky charm.
-[Kimi] Really?
-Now, I'm giving it to you.
[Kimi chuckles] Thank you, Dad.
-Your father gave it to you?
-[Marco] Yes.
-[grandmother] Your grandfather.
-[Veronica] He gave it to your father
-and your father gave it to you.
-It's beautiful.
I'll always take it with me.
[overlapping chatter]
Thank you, Dad.
[grandmother] Please don't
leave it lying around. [laughing]
-[Veronica laughing]
-[Kimi] Thank you.
[grandmother] He restored it.
-[Kimi laughs]
-[laughs]
[Kimi] Dad's getting emotional.
Dad is starting to get emotional.
[Carmen] This is just the beginning.
[giggles]
[F1 car engine revving]
[music concludes]
[Bono, in English] All this actually feels
like the start of the journey.
-[dramatic music playing]
-There is so much to learn.
And the thing is you don't really know
what he doesn't know.
So, we've got to teach him an awful lot.
Okay, let's do some more driving.
Do some more driving?
Well, you do the driving, I'll do the...
-Yeah.
-[laughs]
-We can swap if you want.
-I can't do both.
-You can't do both, no. Neither can I.
-[Kimi] No.
-I drive.
-Yeah.
-And you teach me.
-I do the rest of it.
[Alex] Mercedes have
an illustrious history in Formula 1.
They went on an incredible run,
winning eight
Constructors' Championships in a row.
[reporter] So, imagine you're Bono.
You've worked with Michael Schumacher
and Lewis Hamilton,
statistically the two greatest drivers
in the history of the sport.
And now you're running a teenager
who's never raced in F1.
A big part of preparing a driver
is to make them comfortable
being uncomfortable.
There's obviously the fact
that he's talking
with a bunch of highly talented engineers,
but we're also trying to shove
as much information at him
as quickly as possible.
This is going to be, again,
eight timed laps
that start in the pit lane.
-[crew member 1 over radio] Cockpit?
-[Kimi over radio] Ready when you are.
[Bono over radio]
We are ready at the car bonnet.
[Kimi over radio] Can I fire up
the car myself, or you do?
We'll do it for you each time.
[Marcel over radio]
Kimi, one thing to note.
On this car, the burnout button
is actually the orange button
on the left side of the wheel,
the one labeled TR.
[Kimi over radio] Okay, sorry, Marcel.
We want him to learn through experience.
It's the only way it will stick.
[engine revving]
[crew member 2 over radio] Out of garage,
car caster's still minus two,
compared to the tires.
[commentator 1]
This is a defining off-season
for Kimi Antonelli.
He's got to be ready for everything
that the calendar throws at him.
Street circuits, flat-out tests,
changing time zones
from March until December.
He's got to be in a physical condition
to not get tired,
because if you do get tired at the end
of the race, you slip backwards.
[dramatic music playing]
[Sergi] Max effort here, yeah?
Start from the glutes, work from the core.
Not so high, not so high.
No, no, no, no. Come on.
We want to be quick, no?
Let's go. Up, up, up, up.
Better form.
-Three, two, one.
-[pants]
[engine roars]
Come on. Push, push, push.
Go, go, go, go, go.
You can be more aggressive.
[crew member 2 over radio]
Mistake, the lock-up T6.
-We found like seven tenths here.
-[Sergi] There we go. A little longer.
[crew member 2] I oversteer in T1.
Got the balance a little bit better.
[Sergi] And max, max, max.
Go, go, go, go. Come on.
[crew member 2 over radio]
T4. T2. Recheck T5.
[Sergi] Up, up, up. Quick, quick, quick.
Push, push, push, push, push.
[grunts]
[thunder rumbling]
[James] I was a relatively lone voice
on the conservative end
of the spectrum saying,
"I'd give him another year to grow."
But an overwhelming sentiment was,
"No, this guy is precious and special."
[crew member 3] You're hitting the marks.
You're proactive with the tools.
It's been, what,
nine months of driving an F1 car?
-Yes.
-[crew member 3] You've come a long way.
[epic music playing]
[Sergi] Slowly, slowly, slowly.
-[music concludes]
-[Kimi panting]
[Toto] We have super confidence in you.
We are proud to have gone
all that way with you
from minis into Formula 1.
We will be under lots of pressure.
You know, not even you, but the team
will be under lots of pressure
because people will say,
"Well, you're taking a big risk here."
[gentle music playing]
The journey until now
was a difficult journey,
but now starts another one,
that will be more difficult.
You're racing against
the 19 best drivers in the world,
but we will do this together.
[interviewer] Close your eyes
with me, all right?
Here it is.
It's the first day of the F1 season.
You step into that seat.
What are you feeling?
[heroic music playing]
[F1 car engine revving]
I can picture myself
walking into the garage.
[crowd cheering]
[commentator 1] There he is,
the newest driver for the Mercedes team,
-Kimi Antonelli.
-[crowd cheering]
Seeing the big Mercedes star
on the wall of the garage...
[indistinct radio chatter]
I can imagine for that first session,
walking where the cars are,
seeing all the mechanics around.
[commentator 1] Italy's waited
a long time for an F1 driver,
and now that wait is over.
Giving high five to Bono,
then jumping into that car...
and realizing that it's all clear,
it's all real,
uh, and that I'm about to do
my first race weekend as an F1 driver.
[commentator 2] Formula 1 in 2025 begins.
The new season is underway,
and we're racing to turn number one.
[commentator 1] And how about that lap
from Kimi Antonelli?
He's putting Albon under massive pressure.
From 16th to fourth, what a debut!
[Bono] Nice work, Kimi.
That was a great drive.
[Kimi] Oh, man.
-Wow, what a race!
-[Bono] Mega job today, mate.
[soft soothing music playing]
[music concludes]