Through the Austrian Grand Prix weekend, the Schonberghof Lodge is an unapproachable vacation spot. Positioned only a few minutes stroll from the paddock entrance of the Spielberg circuit, it’s clearly reserved for System 1’s main figures.
The surroundings adjustments fully when there are not any races on the circuit, for instance on a Tuesday final April. Spring arrives very slowly in these elements, the clothes continues to be wintery and the ambiance is paying homage to the pre-season exams after they befell in Barcelona.
The restaurant on the Schonberghof Lodge is accessible, and Italian and English are spoken at one of many tables. Andrea Kimi Antonelli casually switches his native language to talk English to Stephane Guerin, a Mercedes guide at his facet since he took his first steps in single-seaters.
“Wiener schnitzel for everybody?” Antonelli says, and the desk follows him virtually unanimously. Twelve hours later, he climbs right into a System 1 single-seater for the primary time, the Mercedes W12 that Lewis Hamilton drove within the dramatic 2021 season.
In all careers there are particular days that come unexpectedly, others which are desires that slowly take form after which come true. The primary check behind the wheel of a System 1 single-seater, for all drivers who’ve had this chance, is one thing destined to stay of their reminiscence without end.

Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Photograph by: Mercedes AMG
There isn’t a hint of nervousness: most likely his dad and mom Marco and Veronica disguise it very properly. Antonelli holds his personal, starting from the driving force’s seat – “It appears very comfy” – to the climate: “Simply in case I’ve to do my first laps on the wheel of a System 1 automotive with moist tyres.”
Antonelli would not but know that it will not simply be the rain that may accompany him in his first check in an F1 automotive; within the afternoon, snow can even arrive. He devours his wiener schnitzel however has zero concessions to sweets or drinks apart from strictly nonetheless water. Dad Marco breaks the ice just a little by asking “What did the engineers let you know?”
“The programme will rely on the climate,” Antonelli replies. “I used to be shocked to see all of them very excited.”
Among the many duties Antonelli accomplished on the eve of his first System 1 check was to memorise the names of all of the engineers he could be working with. He requested Mercedes for a file with all of the employees he would meet on the monitor, linking names to faces and memorising the whole lot, a technique to pace up the method of getting together with the staff.
Because the dinner attracts to a detailed, Antonelli recounts anecdotes from the System Regional season that ended solely six months earlier and the difficulties he encountered throughout the first three weekends in System 2, battling a single-seater that was not but in prime kind. The 17-year-old then retires to his room, a kiss to his dad and mom reciprocated with a caress.

Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Photograph by: Mercedes AMG
It rains. When Antonelli opens the Mercedes field door at eight within the morning, he’s bewildered: “All these individuals are right here for me?”
There are not any visitors, solely strictly vital personnel, the check is behind closed doorways. However for individuals who come from the paddocks from decrease classes, the statement is appropriate. For an F1 check, there are about 30 individuals within the pit, together with engineers, mechanics, telemeters and so forth.
The exception made is for this author, an outdated promise with Antonelli when he was in his first season in a single-seater. “I need to be there the day you drive a System 1 automotive for the primary time.” It was solely a matter of time, however Antonelli nonetheless set the tempo.
He strikes round casually, greets everybody and chats, commenting on the quantity of rain on the monitor. “I believe it is actually lots,” he says. “I hope I can run, even with wets, however I need to go spherical.” At 9 o’clock on the dot, the engineers indulge him: Antonelli places on his helmet and slowly climbs into the automotive.
9 minutes later the mechanics take away the tyre heaters, the strain rises and Antonelli’s fingers tremble just a little. At that second there’s a life’s work, nonetheless brief, however undoubtedly intense. Dad Marco (referred to as a troublesome man) can’t conceal a touch of emotion, then places the whole lot apart and prepares to maintain the instances.
He finishes the primary run, of only a few laps, which is adopted by a brief briefing with the engineers. It’s fairly spectacular to see a 17-year-old boy give fast and exact solutions to the questions coming from the huddle of engineers gathered round him. Then he takes a break.

Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Photograph by: Mercedes AMG
“It is so cool…irrespective of how troublesome the situations are, you instantly really feel that the extra you push, the extra the automotive stays down. While you come out of a nook you realise you may have finished it quicker, after which the braking, the grip within the corners regardless of the wets is loopy, mamma mia.”
A brioche, an orange juice and again within the automotive. On the finish of the second run, the engineers start to smile amongst themselves, particularly Riccardo Musconi, the engineer from Imola in control of the check staff. They present Antonelli the onboard photos downloaded from the digital camera positioned on the automotive, and Antonelli anticipates their remarks: “Right here I believe I’ve gone too far,” he says, smiling, and the engineers, confronted with sincerity, can solely nod.
It’s seen how way more serene Antonelli’s expression turns into because the runs proceed. His fingers now not shake, and he begins to benefit from the second. The lunch break arrives and it begins snowing. Antonelli now not needs to cease. He takes benefit of the break to ask if he can do a number of laps in his dad Marco’s street automotive. “What do you say, if I do a number of laps, will anybody get offended?”
As soon as he bought the OK, he climbed into the automotive together with his father sitting by his facet and hit the monitor. Marco Antonelli has used up much more asphalt than Kimi, an expertise that enables him to present the suitable recommendation contemplating the very troublesome monitor situations. The 2 change opinions on trajectories, kerbs to take and people to keep away from, then Kimi arrives just a little lengthy on the braking of Flip 4. His father catches the chance of working into the sand upfront, and points a convincing warning: “Be careful! We’ll find yourself burying ourselves right here and we’ll appear to be shit…” Kimi laughs: “I assume you are getting too scared, huh?”
After a number of laps, with the tyres beginning to ask for respite, it is again to the pits. The snow continues to fall and the programme is postponed till the following day. “Did you see if my dad and mom had been excited?” asks Antonelli. Receiving an affirmative reply, he admits that he was too. “You already know, final evening at dinner I won’t have realised it but, however at the moment…properly, after they lowered the automotive for the primary run it was a mixture of rigidity and pleasure.”

Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Photograph by: Mercedes AMG
The moist christening is over. The dad and mom bid farewell to their son and set off within the automotive to be on the Mugello circuit the following day to handle the household staff competing within the Italian System 4 championship.
Antonelli prepares for the second day of testing, with the climate granting a respite by lastly with the ability to use dry tyres for the primary time. He smiles, at 17 years outdated, Antonelli is a person and a boy. On the one hand the skilled, able to convincing Mercedes to grant him a really uncommon alternative on this planet of motorsport. On the opposite, a 17-year-old (18 in August) who all the time stays underneath the radar.
“You already know what grew to become clear to me after at the moment? I’ve understood why there are a thousand individuals working to get a System 1 automotive onto the monitor,” he displays. “Ah, and ship me the video you took whereas I used to be scaring my dad!”
Then he walks away in that completely becoming black overalls for the final technical briefing of the day.