Kimi Antonelli Is Formula 1 World Champion; Perth Dad Who Once Won a Go-Kart Heat at Dundee in 1998 Says He ‘Knows Exactly How He Feels’
Max Verstappen won the race in Mexico, but the title went to the young Mercedes driver. Lewis Hamilton says Ferrari need some 'serious talks'.
A Formula 1 car, which goes slightly faster than the Perth to Dundee bus. Photo: Morio, “2015 Malaysian GP opening lap”, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Kimi Antonelli has been crowned Formula 1 world champion after the Mexico City Grand Prix, where Max Verstappen took the chequered flag. Lewis Hamilton, who started from pole on Saturday, said afterwards that Ferrari need “serious talks” about their season.
In Perth, the news was greeted with the quiet pride of a man who has been there himself.
“I won a heat at the go-kart track in Dundee in 1998,” said a Bridgend father of two. “Fastest lap, and I overtook my brother-in-law on the last bend. I didn’t get a trophy, but I got a Twix out the machine, and I’ve never forgotten the feeling. I imagine it’s much the same for Kimi.”
His wife said he had mentioned the go-kart heat “at every Christmas since 1998” and “at two funerals”.
Antonelli is still very young to be world champion, which has made several Perth men reflect on what they had achieved at the same age. “At his age I’d passed my driving test at the third attempt,” said a Scone man. “And the second attempt didn’t count because the examiner got out at the lights.”
Our correspondent can confirm that the Red Fiat Panda belonging to the Perth man we spoke to on Saturday, who said it had “a lot of power at the start”, did not qualify for Mexico.
The real story: Antonelli is F1 world champion (BBC Sport)
Letters to the Editor
The views expressed are those of the reader, and frankly that's on them.
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That Dundee heat was a very competitive heat, I’ll have you know. There were nearly four of us.
— Mark C., Oudenarde, 2 November 2026 -
My dad also ‘knows exactly how he feels’. He was third in the egg and spoon in 1979 and won’t let it go.
— Sophie L., North Muirton, 2 November 2026 -
Fair play to the lad. I can’t get round Broxden in a season, never mind the world.
— Andy F., Stanley, 2 November 2026
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