F1 star reveals brilliant advice given to him by racing legend Valentino Rossi

Valentino Rossi in 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

F1 star reveals brilliant advice given to him by racing legend Valentino Rossi

An F1 star received advice from the legend

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Tuesday 23 December 2025 10:57

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Mercedes F1 star Kimi Antonelli has revealed the advice he received from MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi.

The Italian racing legend is a seven-time MotoGP champion and considered one of the greatest motorcycle racers of all time, inspiring F1 stars such as Lando Norris and, as recently revealed by La Gazzetta dello Sport, compatriot Antonelli.

Antonelli has just completed his rookie season in F1, withstanding the immense pressure of being labelled a 'generational talent' to claim three podiums, despite a rough European portion of the season.

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Gazzetta claimed that amongst the greats, Antonelli could name Rossi as a friend and asked what advice he was given by the legend.

"He told me to do my best and always stay true to myself," Antonelli revealed.

"The best thing, however, is being able to spend time with him: we went to Misano together to watch the MotoGP, and I want to ask him to swap helmets at the end of the year; that would be really nice for me.

"We've also gone karting together with the VR46 guys in the past, and I'll try to organize another day because we have so much fun together."

Antonelli's maiden F1 season

In the same interview, Antonelli also reflected on his first season in Formula 1, where he acknowledged the highs and the lows.

"A year of ups and downs," Antonelli explained.

"I've been through a sea of events, difficulties, and successes, and looking back, I can say I'm happy because I managed to overcome some tough moments, like the mid-season drop in performance.

"It was a lesson I'll carry with me throughout my career because it allowed me to make a mental leap that will be useful in the future."

Antonelli only scored three points between the Austrian and Italian Grands Prix, with the youngster pinpointing this time as the turning point of his season.

"Returning to the old rear suspension definitely helped me a lot," he said.

"Then, after Monza, I had a meeting with Toto and Bono, my engineer, who told me what was wrong with what I was doing and helped me understand how to do a real mental reset."