"Hear me out Kimi Antonelli - driver of the day": Scott McLaughlin lauds teenage Mercedes driver for his F1 debut

IndyCar driver Scott McLaughlin applauded the efforts of 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli for his performance in his debut F1 race in Australia on Sunday. The Kiwi branded the rookie sensation as the driver of the day after he finished fourth following an impressive first showing.

McLaughlin began his motorsports career in karting, having competed in karting competitions in New Zealand and Australia in the early 2000s. He then moved to the Supercars championship, before finally making his switch to IndyCar in 2020.

The Kiwi has often shared opinions about F1 via social media, showcasing his interest in the series. After Sunday's F1 season-opener in Australia, he also shared a series of comments about the race, perhaps after he saw the replays and highlights after waking up in a drastically different time zone.

In one of his posts about the Australian GP on X, McLaughlin stated that Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli was his Driver of the Day, as the Italian finished fourth on his debut, after having started in 16th. He wrote:

"Hear me out Kimi Antonelli - driver of the day"

Antonelli was only one of two rookies who finished the race amid tricky and slippery conditions at Albert Park. He showcased his talent by not only keeping the car on track at all times but also managing to finish just outside the podium places, possibly the best result, given Mercedes' pace.

But it was McLaren's Lando Norris who won the actual Driver of the Day award, after an impressive performance, converting his pole into a win, even in tough conditions and with the reigning 4x F1 champion Max Verstappen breathing down his neck.

Scott McLaughlin was also in a similar position after having earned the pole position for the opening St. Petersburg Grand Prix on March 2, but was unable to convert the golden opportunity into his first race win of the season, and eventually finished fourth.

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Scott McLaughlin pokes fun at McLaren F1's team radio as he apologizes to his race engineer

Scott McLaughlin posing with his Pole Position trophy at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg - Source: Getty

Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin shared his disagreement with McLaren's F1 team asking Oscar Piastri to hold position behind teammate Lando Norris at his home race. The Kiwi joked that he would have turned his radio off if he was told to do the same, and offered an apology to his race engineer Ben Bretzman.

McLaughlin claimed that he found it odd that McLaren asked Piastri to hold position, given that it is only the first race of the season. He shared his feelings on the incident via X, saying:

"Great for Lando, but feel for OP. Home race getting told to hold pozzy, bit rich, first race of the year. I would’ve unplugged the radio, sorry @benbretzman 😂😂"

Scott McLaughlin will next be seen on track at the Thermal Club Grand Prix, as IndyCar head into round 2 of the 2025 season, starting on March 21. The 31-year-old will be hoping to emulate a similar performance in qualifying to his previous attempt in St. Pete, and hoping to better his eventual race result this time around.