Formula 1's newest star Kimi Antonelli has achieved a significant personal milestone, successfully graduating from his Italian high school just days after securing his maiden podium finish in Montreal.
His school attendance meant missing high-profile events including the London premiere of F1: The Movie at Leicester Square, where Lewis Hamilton and other drivers walked the red carpet alongside Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise.
While Antonelli skipped the event for his schooling, he was not the only formula 1 star to miss the event.
Four-time World Champion Max Verstappen also missed the premiere to spend time at home with his newborn baby daughter.
Lewis Hamilton posed with Brad Pitt and Damson Idris the F1: The Movie premiere
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The event saw Hamilton along with A-list actors Cruise and Pitt flaunt their style to celebrate the release of the film this week.
Antonelli announced his academic success on Monday evening through an Instagram story, posting a photograph of himself wearing a traditional celebratory laurel wreath with the caption "promosso" - Italian for "passed".
Antonelli had returned to his hometown of Casalecchio di Reno, near Bologna, immediately following his third-place finish at the Canadian Grand Prix to sit his final examinations at the Salvemini di Casalecchio di Reno Technical Institute.
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Kimi Antonelli landed his first podium finish just the week prior in the Canadian Grand Prix
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The young driver admitted feeling the pressure of balancing his academic responsibilities with his Formula 1 duties.
Antonelli told reporters: "I was fairly stressed, because I didn't have much time to study. But I did my best."
The teenager revealed that English was his preferred subject "because that's the one that comes easiest for me".
His examination schedule included both written and oral components.
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Antonelli expressed his determination to complete the assessments before the Austrian Grand Prix, stating he wanted to finish "so I can focus full time on racing".
His commitment to education whilst pursuing his racing career earned praise from his school.
Alessandra Regina, coordinator of Antonelli's class, told ANSA news agency: "While Kimi Antonelli has always had lots of sporting commitments, he never lost sight of school and he never lost sight of the goal of taking his final exams."
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The Italian said he is now able to focus fully on racing after the completion of his school exams
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Regina described the teenager as "a very humble boy" who maintained regular contact with the school whilst travelling for races.
She explained: "When he was travelling for Grands Prix he would call me or write to ask me questions, or he would come straight from the airport to class to have things explained to him again and then he would do the tests."
With his academic obligations now fulfilled, Antonelli can dedicate himself entirely to the remainder of the Formula 1 season.
The rookie has accumulated 63 points in his debut campaign, trailing seven-time world champion Hamilton, whom he replaced at Mercedes, by 16 points.
The Italian driver now faces 14 remaining rounds in the championship, with the next race commencing in Austria this weekend.
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