23 February 2026motorsportRumorDriver Ratings
Karting rival Zilisch: 'I always knew Antonelli would make it to F1'
NASCAR's Connor Zilisch, who raced against Kimi Antonelli in their karting days, reveals he always predicted the Italian's F1 future, citing his exceptional talent and a memorable engine-swap story that proved his raw skill.
NASCAR Cup Series rookie Connor Zilisch, who spent formative years karting in Europe against Andrea Kimi Antonelli, says he always knew the young Italian would reach Formula 1. The 19-year-old American, now driving for Trackhouse Racing, praised Antonelli's innate talent and ability to extract maximum performance from any equipment, highlighting a telling story from their youth racing days.