Valentino Rossi supports F1 rookie Antonelli during joint karting session

According to Motorsport.com, Mercedes rookie driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli revealed his meeting with MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi during a karting session between the Chinese and Japanese GP.

The Italian driver shared his enjoyable experience with the seven-time MotoGP champion — they spent time karting while exchanging funny stories from racing days.

“He’s such a cool dude. We had some good laughs and he told me some stories from when he was racing in MotoGP. He’s a very easy person to get along with and we had a nice day together,” said Antonelli.

Rossi has shown full support for Antonelli who is now in his debut season with Mercedes — replacing Lewis Hamilton who moved to Ferrari. After two races, the young Italian driver has secured fifth place in the standings with 22 points.

“He’s been really supportive and told me to keep focused on myself, enjoy the process, and not worry about the rest,” added Antonelli about Rossi’s advice.