Kimi Antonelli takes unusual step at F1 Imola GP after celebrating football club's success

Kimi Antonelli has hit the big time in and is now keen to bring his school pals along for the ride. The 18-year-old prodigy is back on familiar turf for the , and he's rolled out the red carpet for his family and schoolmates to get a taste of the trackside action.

He even joined in the festivities in his hometown on Wednesday evening as its football team clinched their first silverware in over half a century, before diving into press commitments and offering his mates an exclusive peek at the F1 paddock.

"We were able to organise this for the school. It's a good way for them to see with their own eyes this . They used to see the races on TV but they didn't actually know what's going on behind all this," said on Thursday.

"Later on, I'll show them the car and explain a little bit... It's a good way to keep the relationship as well because I haven't spent much time at home, so I don't see them a lot. These little things can make the difference as well, in terms of relationships."

The timing of this week's race is perfect for Antonelli, who got to celebrate a milestone moment for his hometown club, . Fans took to the streets of the city on Wednesday night after winning the Italian Cup with - their first since 1974 - with victory over .

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"The city went pretty crazy. I was out there as well, but not for long though because I still had to come to the track this morning," he said. "But like everyone was sounding the klaxons on the street... going crazy. It was good fun. I enjoyed it."

The past year has seen a meteoric rise for Antonelli, who jumped from being a newbie to occupying Lewis Hamilton's seat at Mercedes, a remarkable leap which was captured in a new documentary released this month.

On Thursday, Antonelli expressed his aspiration for a maiden podium finish at his home race, though he remains cautious about potential pitfalls. Just two weeks ago in Miami, as the grid's youngest driver, he grabbed pole position for the Sprint race but quickly slipped to fourth due to an error.

"I was really excited and actually thinking about the podium, and then the races went terribly wrong, both in the Sprint and the long race," he said. "We're a very superstitious family and we just take [it] step by step."

Competing on his home turf - with no Italian F1 driver since Antonio Giovinazzi in 2021 - makes this weekend "a special one", admitted Antonelli. Nonetheless, the support of friends, family, and fans poses its own challenge: can Antonelli withstand the weight of expectation?

"This weekend is going to be emotionally and mentally draining," he cautioned. "It's going to be really important to manage the energy."