Antonelli's father hands him a red carnation after eighth F1 win at Spanish GP

Kimi Antonelli claimed his eighth Formula 1 victory at the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid, but it was a quiet moment with his father that captured the attention of fans worldwide.

After parking his Mercedes on the grid, Antonelli made his way to the team barriers, where his father Marco was waiting — red carnation in hand. The two laughed together and shared a hug before the 20-year-old moved on to his pre-podium duties. The exchange was filmed and spread rapidly across social media, drawing thousands of reactions.

Fans described the moment as “wholesome” and “precious”. “Such a wholesome moment. Kimi is so easy to root for,” one Reddit user wrote, while another joked: “What is this, The Bachelor?” On X, a post reading “The fact that little red carnation was from Papanelli. Stop, that’s so precious” drew widespread engagement. Other comments included: “This is the most Italian thing ever and I love it! Andiamo Kimi!” and “The new GOAT”.

On track, the result was equally significant. Antonelli added another 25 points in Madrid, stretching his drivers’ championship lead to 81 points over Mercedes team-mate George Russell, who sits second in the standings.

Despite the commanding advantage, Antonelli was measured when asked about the prospect of a maiden title. “Well, that’s exactly what I don’t want to do,” he said after the race. “I want to keep pushing race by race, keep delivering and keep enjoying all the way, and then trying to do my best every race. And then we’ll see where we end up at the end of the year.”

The championship resumes at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, held at the Baku City Circuit from 24–26 September.