KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 30 — Kimi Antonelli appears to have wasted little time settling into Malaysia, with the Mercedes driver spotted exploring the country and making the most of his downtime ahead of this weekend’s Formula One race at Sepang.

An X user posting under the name 이리 (@forAKA_12) said Antonelli had adapted quickly to the time difference and, from the day after his arrival, had been seen travelling around with his performance coach Sergi Ávila.

The post said the Italian had visited water parks and played tennis as he worked through his pre-race routine, describing his packed schedule as a reminder that “youth is truly a wonderful thing”.

In a separate video posted by Petronas Motorsports on Facebook, Mercedes drivers George Russell and Antonelli told fans in Malay, “Ini minggu perlumbaan” — or “It’s race week”.

The Sepang race is being held in place of the Bahrain Grand Prix, which was originally scheduled for April but cancelled amid the war in the Middle East.

Antonelli heads into the Malaysian round with a 66-point lead over Russell in the drivers’ championship.

The 20-year-old saw that advantage reduced in Azerbaijan last weekend after finishing fifth while Russell claimed a commanding victory.

His Baku weekend was further disrupted by a hydraulics problem in practice and a crash in qualifying, which left him starting 16th and marked the first time in six races that Russell had outqualified him.

He will now look to restore his momentum at Sepang, which is hosting Formula One for the first time since 2017.

Meanwhile, fellow F1 drivers Oscar Piastri, Alex Albon, George Russell, Carlos Sainz, Gabriel Bortoleto and Oliver Bearman hit the karting track in Malaysia today ahead of Sunday’s race.

Antonelli has said he intends to “re-establish the order” at the Sepang International Circuit.