Kimi Raikkonen’s verdict on F1 namesake Kimi Antonelli

Two Kimis were in the same F1 paddock at Monza.

Attention was on Kimi Antonelli, who crashed in FP1 before being named as Lewis Hamilton’s successor at Mercedes for 2025.

But former F1 champion Kimi Raikkonen was also making a rare appearance at a grand prix.

“Yeah, I heard,” Raikkonen told F1.com about the other Kimi’s big announcement.

“When we came here, somebody said that they announced it!”

“It’s great. A lot of new faces, I think, coming next year, a lot of new drivers that have been signed to F1. It’s good for the sport, and it’s also great to have an Italian in the championship. It’s good for everybody, I think.

“I’m sure they know how to get him ready.

“Obviously, these days they have simulators. When I started, there was no simulator, you jumped in and got going!

“I think it’s much easier [to move up to F1], in many ways, now. You can do a lot of testing, obviously, and get ready. I wish them and all the rest all the best!”

‘The Iceman’ - 26 years older than F1’s newest Kimi - spent 19 years on the grid, in two spells.

He won the 2007 drivers’ championship while with Ferrari, and he remains the Italian manufacturer’s most recent champion.

There is a similarity to Mercedes’ new Kimi.

Raikkonen also had a very limited background before his rise to Formula 1. Antonelli has been fast tracked into F2 this year, and has already been confirmed for F1 next year.

And there is also another Raikkonen racing driver on the horizon.

The family have relocated to Italy to aid his son Robin’s dream. Robin is current racing go-karts.

“Everything is going nicely. We’ll see,” Raikkonen Senior said.

“If something comes or not, who knows? But he’s having fun – that’s the main thing.”